Love, Jason Love, Mitchie
by ActingPrincess
Summary: After the death of her parents, fifteen year old Mitchie Torres is sent to live with her estranged brother, Jason (Torres) Green. She's thrown into his world of partying, fame, fortune and rock n roll. While trying to repair her damaged relationship with her brother, she finds a friend in his band mates, sweet Nate and Shane Gray, who isn't the jerk the world made him out to be.
1. Reunited

She never actually got used to the idea of someone being gone. Even when she knew they weren't going to come back this time.

And now, she walked out of the place she had called home for fifteen years for the last time. She somehow managed to carry three boxes, two suitcases, a duffel bag and two purses. The social worker didn't even offer to help.

"_What's going to happen to me_?" Had been her first question as they left the hospital. The stranger turned around, there seemed to almost a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"I don't know, Michelle. If we can't find anyone to take you, then you'll have to go into the system. Don't worry, they're nice people, and they'll take really good care of you."

She hated being called Michelle, but she hated the idea of having to live with strangers even more. So, Mitchie Torres gave them the number of her only living relative, even though her parents never would have approved.

She spent the weekend at a group home while she waited for them to try and get through to him.

And when she was told to pack her bags and wait by the front desk, she figured that he had told them to place her into the faulty court system.

Mitchie was surprised to see the very familiar young man walk into the group home. There was a far away look in his eyes.

Time hadn't changed Jason Torres at all. Of course, every girl in the world knew his as Jason Green, his stage name and also their grandmother's maiden name. He had changed it after his eighteenth birthday.

"Michelle..." He muttered. He started towards her, but then thought better of it and stopped. "Sorry, _Mitchie_. What...Are you okay?"

"Mom and dad are dead, Jason." She reminded him coldly. "Why on earth would I be okay?"

Jason's jaw tightened, he suddenly looked angry.

Out of the Torres's two children, Michelle was the only one who hadn't been a total disgrace to Connie and Steve.

The boy had loved to stay out late and party. Their parents hoped that sending him to Camp Rock for three summers would him them out.

It did, in some ways, and yet, after he had met two talented young boys by the names of Shane Gray and Nate Black, they had formed Connect 3, one of America's hottest bands.

But by then, Jason had been kicked out of the family.

Connie and Steve had fought with their son constantly, and then Steve couldn't take it anymore.

Mitchie had been the only one he ever truly cared about, and yet, after he left, they almost never talked.

Jason loved his baby sister, and the thought of her being in a group home for that weekend had pissed him off.

Now was his chance to get to know her again.


	2. The All Past

"I...Umm..."

Jason wanted to slap himself, he had no idea how to talk to this young woman, his little sister. She had been ten when he left their home, and he hadn't seen her since then.

"You look really good." He finally said, in a lame attempt to start their conversation. "Michelle?"

"_Please_ stop calling me that, Jason." Mitchie replied. She hadn't stopped looking out the window of the limo since he had closed the door behind them.

He'd forgotten how much she hated flashy things.

"I'm sorry. Okay? I know you don't really want this, but the thought of going into the system..."

He reached across the seat and grabbed her hand, startling her. The gesture surprised her as well, but she refused to look him in the eyes.

"Mitchie! Don't you _ever_ say that I don't want you. Do you understand me?" Jason waited for her to nod, which she did just barely, before he continued. "I would have come looking for you myself if you hadn't have had them call me. I'm sorry you had to be at that shit hole for so long, but the band..."

"I know, Jase. I know it's hard for you to get around. Especially with your stalker-azi."

That comment made him crack a smile; Mitchie still had his sarcastic-trait. It had gotten them into trouble one too many times growing up.

He suddenly thought about his band mates, who were waiting for them back in California. It had been Shane, the 'bad boy to the press' of all people, had been the one to force the label into giving him a few days off. It was things like that that reminded Jason that Shane was still human.

_"Take all the time you need_," He and Nate had said before his flight took off. "_The band will still be here when you get back."_

"The guys are really excited to meet you."

"The guys...?" Mitchie repeated, looking genuinely surprised. "You mean...You're not shipping me off to boarding school?"

Her brother shared her look. "No! Why the hell would I do that?! Did you not hear what I just said? I want you here, Mitchie. You're not leaving my sight until you're eighteen. Do you understand?"

Without waiting for an answer, he released her hand and leaned forward to ask the driver if they could make a stop first before they went to the airport.

"Where are we going?"

"The court office. I almost forgot that I'm supposed to meet with the lawyer and sign a few papers."

"Papers?"

Jason sighed. "The legal documents that will declare me your legal guardian."

Mitchie blinked. Another thing no one really knew about him; Jason Torres-Green was not an idiot.

* * *

"Jason." The family lawyer greeted. "Michelle. How wonderful to see you. I was very sorry to hear about your loss. Your parents were wonderful people."

He didn't mean it, he hadn't even told the Social Worker that they could have contacted him. It was his fault that Mitchie had spent the weekend in that horrible group home.

"Thank you." Jason wanted to sign the papers as quickly as possible, to be in and out. He didn't want Mitchie near this man, "Umm, we're here to..."

"The papers. Right, of course." The man gestured to the two empty chairs. "Now, Jason if you could just sign here where it says _'I, signature here, hereby accept all legal and finical responsibility of minor, Michelle Elizabeth Torres_.' and then we'll be all set."

He scribbled his signature, practiced daily by singing autographs, before pushing the paper back over to him.

"Congrats, Jason." The man walked around his desk and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's all yours. Take good care of her, and if you ever need anything..."

"I know," Jason forced a smile. "Thanks, but being part of Connect 3, I have my own lawyer, and he will also be representing Mitchie, as she is in my care now. If you ever need to try and contact her, you can do it through his office."

He threw his lawyer's card down onto the desk before turning to walk away.

"And if I could press charges because you tried to put my sister into the system without contacting me, then I would be. Have a great day." Jason hissed, shooting him a threatening glance. "Come on, Mitch."

Mitchie followed him out, completely speechless. He held the door to the limo open for her before getting in himself and giving the driver directions to the airport.

"Are you okay?" She found herself asking him. Even though she didn't want to...She cared.

"Yeah." Jason answered, shooting her a quick glance. "I'm just sorry that prick rather see you living with strangers than your own brother."

"Jason..."

"I'm not proud of how I left things, Mitchie. Okay? God, for years I've tried to think of a way to make it up to them, and now..."

Tears streamed down his cheeks as the memory of him leaving his home, Connie crying and Mitchie clinging to his arm burned in his mind. Steve had called him two days later, begging him to come back. By then, Jason had been to angry to even listen.

Mitchie brushed her own tears away with the back of her hand.

At first, they made no movements to comfort one another.

Then, she crawled across the seat and onto his lap, burrowing her face into his chest. Jason wrapped his arms around his sister and held on for dear life.


	3. Voyage

"Jason!" Girls voices flooded through the walls of the limo. Knuckles began to tap on the glass, softly at first but then the noise grew.

"Do they track my every move?!" He demanded, though a grin was evident on his face. His fans were some of the sweetest people he had ever met.

"Are you okay with this?"

She wasn't, and he knew it. The fame was his thing, not hers.

And yet, Mitchie put on a brave face, smiling at her brother. "You bet."

Jason eyed her carefully. Almost six years apart, and he could still read her like an open book.

"Mitch. I'm sorry, I really am. But I can't help who I am and what my job is."

"I know, Jase. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and get used to it."

Airport security was there, the limo driver had their bags waiting on the sidewalk.

Jason wore a pair of sunglasses and a hat over his curly hair. He took one of Mitchie's suitcases and the duffel bag before grabbing her hand. "You ready?"

Mitchie had watched enough HotTunes over the years to know how Jason and his band mates stayed in such good shape.

_By running from the paparazzi._

"Bad day to wear your boots, Michelle," The driver advised her as he nodded to her brother.

They were running through the crowd.

* * *

"Sorry, Mitch." Jason muttered, shooting her an apologetic glance. "The Jet needed a few repairs after Shane's last joy ride. You okay?"

Her cheeks were pink, a sign that showed how tired she was. He sighed, handing her bags off to the girl behind the desk before turning back to his sister. She hadn't slept in at least a week, he realized. Her dark brown eyes seemed to be permanently red, and they looked dead.

"C'mere," He ordered, reaching out to grab her arm.

Jason swung her up onto his back and carried her the rest of the way.

"Tickets, please." The girl behind the counter demanded, she didn't even pretend to recognize him. He handed them over.

She barely raised her head off of his shoulder.

"That your kid?" She joked, handing the tickets back. "Have a great flight."

"Sort of," Jason answered her without hesitation. though the words didn't feel real.

Mitchie was _his_ now.

"Thanks. Have a great day. Let's go, Mitch." He carried his sister through the turmoil and onto the plane, settling her down into the first class plush seat.

"Oh my gosh!" A little voice exclaimed before a beautiful little girl, maybe four years old, ran up to him. "Jason! Can I get a picture

"Of course, sweetheart!" Jason always had a very soft spot for the youngest of his fans.

"C'mere." He lifted the little girl onto his lap, grinning at the flash of her mother's camera. She threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you so much! Who's that?"

He realized that she was pointing to Mitchie, who was now sound asleep next to him. He smiled.

"This is Mitchie. She's my little sister."

* * *

'

"Mitch." He tried to shake her, but she didn't want to budge. She was beyond exhausted.

"Michelle Elizabeth-"

She cracked an eyelid. "Please don't full name me. Only when I'm in trouble please. I'm up, I promise. Just don't use my full name."

"Deal." He agreed, wrapping his arm around her. "Can you walk?"

Mitchie let out a groan, and he took that as a no. He swung her onto his back again. They had to wait for the people in front of them to walk off before they could go.

"Man. You are just carrying her everywhere. Aren't you?" Some B-list celebrity asked, trying to act as if he were best friends with Jason Green.

He ignored him, hoping that Nate and Shane had thought ahead to get either airport security or to call Oliver and the rest of their security team.

Sure enough, and probably because of Nate, the two boys stood in the middle of the crowded room, a lot of space in between them and their fans.

Like Jason, they both had on hats and designer sunglasses. He could already tell that Shane was in a horrible mood, for what, he was sure he would find out.

"Hey!" Nate called out, his smile bright. "Welcome back, man."

As he neared them, the youngest member of the band reached out and they shook hands.

Shane just stood there, his arms crossed.

"I'll introduce you guys later." Jason whispered. He began to lead the boys towards the baggage claim, stopping to adjust his grip on her legs.

"Jase?" Mitchie mumbled. "Are we here?"

"We're in L.A, if that's what you mean," He laughed. "Go back to sleep, Mitch. I know you haven't been sleeping very well."

"Okay," Ten seconds later, she was asleep, her head falling back down onto his shoulder. "You really are the best brother ever."

* * *

"

"Is that it?" Shane asked lightly. For some reason after he realized that Mitchie was asleep, he had decided to speak in softer tones. His mood hadn't disappeared completely, but he was making an effort.

"Yep."

The boys, surrounded by their security team, made their way to the exit to get to their car. Jason and Nate shared a look as girls began to raise their phone to take pictures.

"When were you gonna announce your long-lost sister, again?" He whispered.

"Okay. One, she's not my 'long-lost sister'. It's clearly written on my Wikipedia page about my stage name, and how I'm estranged from my family. And eventually, the press will find out about the death of my parents, and I'll deal with the rest then."

"Are you guys coming?" Shane had been walking ahead of them, he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Now, he turned on his heel to walk back to them. "Or are you gonna dawdle all day?"

"Shut up, hothead." Nate warned. "Or else I'll break your straighter."

He narrowed his eyes. "You already did."

"No. I broke the lesser one, the one that you got at Rite Aid when you made us stop that one time on tour. I'll break your favorite. The one your stylist gave you,"

"You wouldn't."

"No, you're right. I would go through your collection before I broke that one."

He shook his head. "God damn Nate. You are so fucking-"

"Language. Shane." Jason warned, steadying his sister once again. "Now that she's here, you're going to have to watch what you say." He expected a big scene, because with Shane, anything was possible.

But the seventeen year old shaggy haired rock star, the term he used to describe himself, shut his mouth for once and nodded.

Nate looked surprised.

They walked out the door. The late California air felt good after being on the plane all afternoon. Their car was waiting across the street.

Nate, who was about to get his license, pulled the keys out of his pocket.

"Oh god. _You're_ driving?" Jason joked tiredly, he unwound Mitchie's arms from around his neck and laid her down on the backseat of their shared Range Rover.

"Well you're too tired, and I don't think you want to scar your sister for life with Shane's driving; her first night with us and all."

"Hardy har har."

"Come on, Jase. Let's get outta here before the fans start asking more questions."

They all climbed in before Nate drove off, leaving their fans to wonder who that beautiful girl was.


	4. Welcome Home, Mitchie

Mitchie didn't know where she was. She woke up in a king-sized bed, more comfortable than the bed at the group home, but way too unfamiliar.

She missed her twin bed back at home.

She was still in the clothes she had worn on the plane, sweatpants and an over sized sweatshirt that Jason used to wear at football games.

_Jason_! _Where_ was Jason?!

The door swung open and in walked her brother, a light smile on his face. "Morning, Mitch."

"Morning," Mitchie responded, she was still trying to figure out where the hell she was. "Umm, Jason? Where are we?"

"My house?" He asked in the same tone. "You don't remember seeing it last night? Actually, you were pretty out of it. Anyway, why don't you freshen up and then come downstairs and meet the guys."

Jason pointed to the door that led into the conjoined bathroom before getting up. "See you in a few,"

She stopped him. "Jase?"

"Yeah Mitch?"

"Thanks," Mitchie muttered hesitantly. "I know this isn't going to be easy for you."

He crossed the room again and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I told you, Mitchie. I want you here. Now seriously. Go take a shower,"

She followed his suggestion, letting the hot water wash away her troubled thoughts.

She wrapped a towel around her hair to let it dry before going over to one of her suitcases and pulling out a pair of skinny jeans and a green, sleeveless shirt. Her long hair was already beginning to dry.

Mitchie let out another groan as she saw how large the Connect 3 house actually was. It took her a few minutes to find the kitchen.

She heard two voices singing in harmony, one obviously her brother's. Mitchie had never been one to listen to Connect 3 songs, she feared that if she did, she would miss her brother even more.

She knew his voice all too well, she remembered how he used to try and sing her to sleep.

_The two of us tonight_

_We can make it last forever_

_We're in the neon lights_

_It's just you and me together_

_Hollywood, it's the time_

_The stars are shining_

_For you and me tonight_

_In the city_

She leaned against the wall, watching her brother and the curly haired boy sing together.

A grin was on the youngest boy's face, he was excited about the new song.

"Hey!" Jason called, this time he wore a goofy smile. He was making pancakes, he never forgot about how much she loved his cooking. "C'mere,"

She came to stand next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissing her head again. "Nate, this is Mitchie. Mitch, this is my band mate and friend, Nate."

Nate offered her his hand, grinning at her sweetly. "It's really nice to finally meet you,"

"You too," Mitchie returned his smile before raising an eye brow at her brother. "Finally?"

"_Oh_. Jason talks about you all the time."

"Okay." Jason sighed. "Yeah, I do. How could I not, Mitch? I wanted to come see you, but I thought maybe..."

"Jase." She pressed her hand over his mouth. "None of that matters, alright? I'm here now, and I'm not leaving your sight until I'm eighteen, as you already pointed out."

"Wow." Nate observed. "You actually got Jason to be quite? I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well. When you live with him for ten years, you have to learn how to shut him up."

He narrowed his eyes at his little sister before poking her waist and turning back to the stove. "Watch it, Michelle Elizabeth."

"I thought we agreed that you would only full name me when I was in trouble!"

He glanced at her. "Keep talking and you will be."

Nate and Mitchie laughed, they locked eyes and he grinned at her. She already liked his laid back, easy going attitude.

"So I know I've never been good at math, but aren't there supposed to be _three_ members of Connect _3_?"

The two boys shared a look before Jason flipped the last pancake and dropped it on the plate with the others.

"You two go ahead and dig in. I have to make up for my two days of being gone." He squeezed her shoulder as he passed. "Oh, and Nate. If I'm not back on ten minutes-"

"I'll send for backup." He finished, waving his friend away. "Go! Go wake up Sleeping Beauty. Don't worry about us."

With one last look at his sister, Jason turned on his heel and jogged up the stairs.

Mitchie looked at Nate, her eyes full of confusion.

Nate laughed and gestured to Jason's retreating figure. "Shane is impossible, Mitchie. And you're probably gonna have to learn that the hard way. Anyway, Jason and I take turns waking him up every morning, because if we don't, he'll sleep through some pretty important stuff."

A loud, angry groan filled the house. She stifled a laugh as Jason came rushing back down the stairs.

"I used water!" He made a grab for her. "Duck and cover!"

They all ducked behind the kitchen counter.

"Jason! I'm gonna kill you!" Shane Gray warned as he stormed into the room.

"Don't kill me in front of Mitchie," Jason called back. He pulled his sister tighter against him. "How about you go dry off and then come and join us for breakfast?"

He stopped, processing the words his old friend had just said. He didn't want to scare Jason's sister on the first day, she had never done anything to deserve his rage. So, Shane ran back up to his room to change his clothes.

"So that song was really amazing." Mitchie told the two remaining band members. "Is it new?"

"Yep. We're hoping to do it on tour this fall..." Nate sighed and smacked his forehead, as if he had just let some big secret slip. "Sorry, Jase."

"It's fine." Jason told him, and he meant it. He wasn't one to hold grudges. "I was gonna tell you last night, Mitch. But you were so tired. So I guess now is a good of time as any. We're going on a World Tour starting in a few weeks, Mitch..."

"So _that's_ when you're going to ship me off, right?" Mitchie demanded, she cut him off. "Great. That's just _great_, Jase. Thanks for taking me in for a few weeks."

She got up from the table and ran up the stairs, brushing past Shane on her way to the room she had slept in.

"Mitchie!" Jason called after her, he sounded angry. "Michelle! Get back here."

When she didn't respond, he gave an apologetic look to his band mates before going after her. He barged into the room without knocking and grabbed her arm.

"Let go."

"No." Jason's eyes were stone cold. "You need to cut the crap, Michelle. Now get this through your head, alright? You aren't going anywhere! I'm not letting _anyone_ take you away from me. Do you understand? Yes?"

Mitchie refused to look at him. Tears streamed down her cheeks; she just wanted her mom and dad.

"If you would have let me finish down there, I would have told you that were going to have to do school on the road with Shane and Nate. The teacher is really nice. She's so excited to have a girl."

Her eyes were glued to the floor.

"Michelle. Look at me."

Finally, she glanced up and let him see some of her agony. "I want to be with mom and dad, Jason."

That comment was like a slap in the face. His grip tightened on her arm. "Well I'm the best you've got!"

"Hey. Jase." Nate was there, Shane hung back slightly. "Just calm down buddy. Alright? Why don't we go downstairs and finish our breakfast. Sound good?"

Jason sighed and let go of her. "Can you guys give us a minute?"

"Sure," Nate closed the door behind them. "We'll see you guys downstairs."

"This is the last time I'm going to say this, Mitchie. _I love you_, and you have no idea how much I want you to be here, with me and my band and my lifestyle. You're safe here, Michelle, and anywhere I go, you're coming with me."

He turned to leave, his hand reached out to wrap around the door knob.

"Jason."

Jason turned back around. Her next move surprised him, she launched herself into his embrace. Mitchie wrapped her arms around his waist and held on.

"Mitch," He muttered, hugging her back. "It's okay to miss mom and dad. I miss them too."

"Really?"

"Of course I do. God, Mitchie. I wanted to make things right with them for so long. But now I maybe I can make it right by taking care of the most beautiful thing they ever created."

"I love you," Her voice was muffled, her head still burrowed into his chest. "I love you Jase."

"I love you too, Mitch. And I promise I'll take care of you."


	5. The Girl's Dream

"Hey," Nate greeted as they came back down the stairs. He gestured to the two empty seats. "Why don't you join us,"

"Shane," Jason gripped the back of his chair. "This is Mitchie, my baby sister."

"Jason!" Mitchie whined. "I'm gonna be sixteen soon! I'm not a baby."

Shane offered her a small smile before reaching for her hand. His lips brushed across her knuckles. "It's awesome to finally meet you. Welcome to the family."

"Thanks," She replied, dazzling her with her smile. She dropped down onto the seat beside Nate and began to eat.

* * *

After breakfast, Jason dragged her into the garage. She gave him a puzzled look, but he pretended not to notice.

"Come on," He opened the door of his Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. That type of car had just come out, how was it possible that her brother already had it?

"They thought more people would buy it if they saw that a celebrity drove it, so I got an early-released version." Jason announced, guessing her thoughts. "They're selling really well. Now stop complaining and get it."

"Jason..."

"Michelle Elizabeth-"

"Alright!" She dropped down onto the leather seat. "Seriously. You've gotta stop doing that,"

"Nah. It's too much fun."

* * *

"I really hate you right now," Mitchie warned him as they returned home. He had taken her shopping, of all the horrible things to do to her...

The _worst_ part was that he spent money on her. Mitchie hated it when people bought her things, and now Jason expected her to wear the designer clothes. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.

"Nah. You'll be fine," He teased, he reached over and ruffled her hair before pulling the keys from the ignition and getting out. "Come on,"

"Did you guys know that he was taking me shopping?" She demanded as they entered the house.

Nate looked up from his notebook and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry. Jason made us swear. Didjah get some good stuff at least?"

Mitchie made a face. "I guess so."

Jason punched her arm. "Shut up. Girls would kill to have their rock star brother buy clothes for them. Now go put your stuff away upstairs."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She muttered under her breath, heading for the grand staircase.

Shane chose that moment to walk down, and they knocked into each other.

Nate and Jason braced themselves, they were ready to protect her from what they thought was coming,

"Oh my god! I am _so_ sorry!" Her words ran together as she looked up at the teenage boy.

To everyone's surprise, Shane began to laugh, a grin spread across his face. "Don't _apologize_. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah." Mitchie stammered. She started to stand up. He offered her a hand and she took it hesitatingly.

"Thanks."

"No prob." His hand brushed against the small of her back before he released her all together. Then, he turned to his band mates. "I'm gonna go spend some time with my parents. I'll be back later. Bye guys."

"Later," Jason called. Nate was still in shock, his jaw hung open until the oldest member of Connect 3 closed it for him.

"Nate. What..._What_ just happened?"

"I...I don't know. It's like Mitchie is immune to his shitty attitude or something."

"Nate. Language."

"Jason." Mitchie shook her head. "I'm not ten...And come to think of it, when I was ten, you dropped F-bombs around me all the time."

"I," Jason turned bright red, just now remembering that he had, in fact, done that. "That was a different time and place. You and Nate are only fifteen, you don't need to use language like that."

She raised an eye brow at the curly haired boy. "You're fifteen? Really?"

Nate laughed. "Yeah, I am. What'd you expect?"

"That you were at least nineteen." She was serious. From what she could tell, Nate Black was wise beyond his years.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

And now, she blushed, very much like Jason did. He grinned at the sight of his baby sister before beginning to laugh.

"Oh Mitch," He chuckled. "I forgot how easily embarrassed you get, and how much I love making you blush. C'mere."

"No!" She could read him like an open book. "No! No! Get away from me, Jason! I swear to god I will kill you!"

Her threats did no good, her brother still came after her. Jason wrapped his arms around her in an unbreakable hold before beginning to tickle her.

"Jase! Jason! Let me go!"

"Sorry, Mitch! Can't hear ya!" He continued to torture her, his hand going for her waist. She yelped before finally being able to free herself from his grasp.

"Get back here, Mitch."

"Get _away_ from me! God, Jason! I will full-name you right here, _right_ now!"

"Go ahead. It won't really do you any good."

Jason had her again in no time. He knelt down and grabbed her legs before standing up again; she fell over his shoulder.

"Jase!"

"Shh," He responded. He carried her back over to his band mate, turning her to Nate could see her bright pink cheeks.

"Nate. Have you seen Mitchie? I can't find her anywhere."

Nate chuckled, he reached out hesitantly to brush the hair away from her face. "Jase, put her down. The blood is rushing to her head!"

He pretended to think about it before finally grabbing her waist and dropping her back down to her feet. "Okay, fun over. Go unpack your stuff. That's your room now, Mitch. I don't wanna see you living out of your suitcase. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Mitchie gave him a mock salute before heading for the stairs.

Jason watched her leave before turning to his young friend. He let out a sigh, as if he had been holding it in since he had brought her there.

"Okay, man. Lay it on me."

"How do I do this," He asked lightly. "How do I raise a fifteen year old girl that I know nothing about?"

Nate shrugged, he didn't always have an answer for everything. "You love Mitchie, don't you?"

"Of course I do!"

He reached out and pressed his hand into the twenty one year old's shoulder. "Then you know that you love your sister, and right now, that's all you really need to know to give her a good life,"


	6. Nate, too, knows how to have fun

"_You were always there. And like shining light on my darkest days, you were there to guide me. Oh I miss you now. I wish you could see just how much your memory will always mean to me. In a blink of an eye...I never got to say goodbye_."

She had been singing quietly, sure that no one would have been able to hear her. A knock on her door proved to her that someone had in fact, heard her newest song.

"Hey, it's me." Nate's voice called. "Can I..."

"Come in!" Mitchie finished for him. She dropped her songbook. "It's fine, Nate. I don't bite."

So, the curly haired boy walked into her room and sat down on her neatly made bed. "I swear I wasn't ease dropping...but was that you singing?"

"I um..." She blushed again, and it made him grin. She was so much like Jason. "Yeah. I just...I write songs from time to time. They're not very good."

"Is that really what you think?" Nate questioned, he raised an eye brown at her. When she shrugged, he let out a long sigh. "You have got to be kidding me, Mitchie! That was amazing! And I'm not just talking about the lyrics. Your voice is amazing,"

Mitchie's cheeks burned. "Really?"

"Of course. And I don't lie," He ran out of the room only to return five seconds later with one of his many guitars. "Do you have an idea for the music yet?"

"No, not really."

"Well try this," Nate advised her with a smile. He began to play a beautiful melody, and

Mitchie couldn't help herself. She began to sing.

_Hey there now_  
_Where'd you go_  
_You left me here so unexpected_  
_You changed my life_  
_I hope you know_  
_cause now I'm lost_  
_So unprotected_

_In a blink of an eye_  
_I never got to say goodbye_  
_Like a shooting star_  
_Flyin' across the room_  
_So fast so far_  
_You were gone too soon_  
_You're part of me_  
_And I'll never be_  
_The same here without you_  
_You were gone too soon_

_You were always there_  
_and like shining light_  
_on my darkest days_  
_you were there to guide me_  
_Oh I miss you now_  
_I wish you could see_  
_Just how much your memory_  
_Will always mean to me_  
_In a blink of an eye_  
_I never got to say goodbye_  
_Like a shooting star_  
_Flyin' across the room_  
_So fast so far_  
_You were gone too soon_  
_You're part of me_  
_And I'll never be_  
_The same here without you_  
_You were gone too soon_

_Shine on_  
_Shine on_  
_To a better place_  
_Shine on_

_Shine on_  
_Will never be the same_

_Like a shooting star_  
_Flyin across the room_  
_So fast so far_  
_You were gone too soon_  
_You're part of me_  
_And I'll never be_  
_The same here without you_  
_You were gone too soon_  
_Shine on_  
_Shine on_  
_You were gone too soon_  
_Shine on_  
_Shine on_  
_You were gone too soon_  
_Shine on_  
_Shine on_  
_You were gone too soon_

When the song finished, the two teenagers found themselves grinning wildly at each other.

"Mitchie," Nate was breathless. "That was...Amazing! Does Jason know you can sing that well?"

"I guess so," Mitchie nodded. "We used to sing together all the time...Until he left, of course."

Wanting to get the memory out of her mind, she began to jump up and down on the bed.

He watched her carefully. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Having fun," She responded. "_You_ should try it some time."

"Hey," Nate threw back, standing up on her bed. He left his guitar to lean up against the wall. "_I_ know how to have fun,"

"Prove it," Mitchie stuck her tongue out at him, she didn't expect him to grab a pillow and chuck it at her.

"How's that?!" Nate retorted, trying to duck her revenge thrown.

Watching from the doorway was Jason, a shocked expression on his face. Nate had never acted like a kid before.

* * *

"I don't believe you."

"I'm _serious_!" Jason expressed again. He had been trying to convince Shane for the last ten minutes about what he had seen unfold between the two teenagers.

Shane shook his head; the visit from his parents must have gone well because he was still in a good mood. "Nate? Acting like an actual _teenager_? That's _impossible_, Jase. The kid's been a forty year old man since he was thirteen."

"Come see for yourself," The curly haired rocker insisted, he grabbed his arm and pulled him up the vast staircase.

Nate and Mitchie were in the middle of their pillow fight. The fifteen year old boy had the fifteen year old girl pinned in the corner, a pillow was raised above his head, ready to use at any time.

"Truce!" Mitchie pleaded, she leaned forward and whispered something into his ear.

Nate's smile was devious. "Truce," He whispered back.

He tossed her the spare pillow before flinging the door all the way open. The two teenagers began to attack the two oldest members of Connect 3.

Shane let out a surprised yelp as Mitchie threw the pillow at him. It was a direct hit, hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

"You are _so_ dead!" He warned. Believing his words, she ran past her brother and down the stairs.

She was tiny, whereas he was strong and fast. He caught up to her in no time, grabbing her legs and sending both of them tumbling into the living room.

"Gotcha," Shane's voice was raspy. He straddled her waist, keeping her arms pinned to the ground with his knees. "Now what do you think we should do about this, Mitchie?"

"Let me go?" The brunet asked hopefully. She looked at him with her beautiful brown eyes, hoping they would work on him like they always had Jason.

"Not this time," He replied. Shane began to tickle the fifteen year old, enjoying the fact that tears streamed down her face. Her laughter was music to his ears.

* * *

Nate and Jason were still wrestling in the hallway; Jason had the young boy in a headlock. "Nice try, little man."

"One of these days I will be able to beat you, Jase!" Nate warned him.

Jason was still shocked that his young friend was actually acting his age for once. "If you say so, Nate. But don't forget. I will always be stronger, faster and tougher than you, my more of a brother-than-a-friend-person."

* * *

**Song: Gone Too Soon-Simple Plan :)**


	7. This, too, shall pass

Despite the last few days of fun, Mitchie and Jason had to fly back out to New Jersey for the funeral.

Both of their parents had been the only children in their families growing up. Their parents were long gone, having died when Mitchie was two. The funeral was full of old family friends who hugged her for too long, and shook his hand too tightly.

Jason didn't leave her side once. When they were alone, his arm was tight around her waist. He had held her the entire night because she couldn't sleep. He hadn't let her out of his sight.

"Connie and Steve were wonderful people," The pastor began. "They were a large part of their community. Steve was always there to help when you needed a hand, and Connie's smile melted even the meanest of hearts. Though they may be gone, their love shines through their beautiful daughter, Michelle and their handsome son, Jason. I pray that you two continue to spread the love that your parents gave to you to every person you may ever meet."

With shaking hands, Mitchie reached for the mic.

"Michelle has written a song for her parents."

_Sha la la la la_  
_Sha la la la la_

_You used to call me your angel_  
_Said I was sent straight down from heaven_  
_You'd hold me close in your arms_  
_I love the way you felt so strong_  
_I never wanted you to leave_  
_I wanted you to stay here holdin' me_

_I miss you_  
_I miss your smile_  
_And I still shed a tear every once in a while_  
_And even though it's different now_  
_You're still here some how_  
_My heart won'tlet you go_  
_And I need you to know_  
_I miss you_  
_Sha la la la la_  
_I miss you_

_You used to call me your dreamer_  
_And now I'm livin' out my dream_  
_Oh how I wish you could see_  
_Everything thats happenin' for me_  
_I'm thinkin' back on the past_  
_It's true the time is flyin' by too fast_

_I miss you_  
_I miss your smile_  
_And I still shed a tear every once in a while_  
_And even though it's different now_  
_You're still here some how_  
_My heart won'tlet you go_  
_And I need you to know_  
_I miss you_  
_Sha la la la la_  
_I miss you_

_I know you're in a better place, yeah_  
_But I wish that I could see your face, oh_  
_I know you're where you need to be_  
_even though it's not here with me, yeah_

_I miss you_  
_I miss your smile_  
_And I still shed a tear every once in a while_  
_And even though it's different now_  
_You're still here some how_  
_My heart won'tlet you go_  
_And I need you to know_

_I miss you_  
_Sha la la la la_  
_I miss you_

_I miss you_  
_I miss your smile_  
_And I still shed a tear every once in a while_  
_And even though it's different now_  
_You're still here some how_  
_My heart won'tlet you go_  
_And I need you to know_  
_I miss you_  
_Sha la la la la_

_I miss you_  
_I miss you oh_

"They would have been so proud of you, Jase." She whispered into his ear as he wrapped her up in his embrace. "They still loved you. They watched HotTunes and every concert you ever had on PayPerView."

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" He asked as he pulled their rental car into the driveway of his childhood home. It felt so strange to be back at the door he had walked out of almost six years before.

"I _want_ to get the rest of my stuff, Jason. And I promised I'd leave the keys for the church volunteers so they could donate whatever we didn't want. Now come on."

The short, petite girl had to practically drag her older, stronger brother out of the car and up to the door. She fished the key out of her pocket, and with a moment of hesitation, unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Steve's papers for the hardware store were still spread out across the dining room table, an empty coffee cup sat along with them, catching dust. Mitchie's face was unreadable as she snatched it up, holding it too tightly in her fist.

Jason took a hesitant step forward and put his hand on her shoulder. "Mitch..."

And then she threw it, letting the glass shatter on impact when it hit the wall. Her hands shook as she yanked away from her brother. Her bedroom door slammed behind her.

He was wise enough to know that right now would be the best time to leave her alone. So, Jason walked up the stairs to his own room.

The door was closed, not surprisingly. His mom had always thought that closing a door to a room when it wasn't in use would make it less of a hassle to clean later.

He wrapped his hand around the knob and pushed it open. The sight surprised him.

It was just as he had left it. The Michigan State blanket was still at the edge of his bed, folded the way Connie had always liked it.

The bed spread was neatly made, a Torres-family tradition. In truth, Connie was just a neat freak.

The clothes he had left behind were still in his closet. Most of them were t-shirts from concerts he had gone to with his friends. And even though all those clothes, things he hadn't worn in years meant nothing to him, Jason found himself dropping them into the boxes they had collected earlier that day.

He looked over at the bedside table and found a picture in a silver frame. How could he have forgotten to take this the night he left?!

Mitchie was eight in the picture, he was thirteen. It was outside of Camp Rock, right before his parents had separated them for the entire summer.

He had lifted her onto his shoulders, it was the only time he had smiled for that entire week.

He had begged his parents to let Mitchie stay as a 'Junior Rocker'. They refused. Even Connie and Steve had thought that he was a bad influence on his little sister.

Jason dropped the picture into his backpack and grabbed the 'State' blanket off of his old bed. It had been a gift from his father; that was the only reason he wanted it.

* * *

_"While you live under my roof, you'll follow my rules Jason." Steve warned. He was trying to break through to his son, and failing._

_"Fuck off," Jason retorted. He had been out drinking with his friends, and the joint he had smoked was still fresh. "God, dad. I'm not a fucking kid, alright? Worry about Michelle. Not me,"_

_"Jase," Mitchie warned. At ten years old, she was wise beyond her years._

_He sighed and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Being a kid isn't a bad thing, Mitch. Enjoy it, before you fuck up like I always do. Right, mom?"_

_"Jason Antonio Torres. Don't use that language in front of your sister."_

_"Whatever, mom. I'm going out. Don't wait up,"_

_Steve moved to block the door. "The only place you're going is up to your room until you can learn to respect your mother,"_

_"Like hell I am," Jason gave his little sister's hand a squeeze before moving away from her. "Fuck off, dad."_

_"Jason," He made a grab for the sixteen year old's arm, not expecting him to haul off and punch him._

_"Jason!" Connie dropped to her knees and cradled her husband's head in her hands. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"_  
_No one even seemed to care that the ten year old child was still in the room. They were all focused on the soon-to-be adult._

_"That's it, Jason!" Steve faced him. Their eyes were locked in a dead stare. "Now we love you, but I can't take this anymore! Now either you get your priorities with your band and your life straight by checking into a rehab facility, or you leave right now and don't come back."_

_That seemed to pause the sixteen year old for a moment, but soon his mind was made up. "That's what you want, isn't it? For me to be out of the picture. That's what you've always wanted, dad. You guys never wanted me, did you? Why have the screw up when you can have the fucking perfect ten year old. Fine by me. Just let me get a few things and I'll be out of your hair for once and for all."_

_"Jason..." Connie started, but then she closed her mouth and watched him silently. Steve stared at the floor._

_"Jase!" Mitchie shrieked, she went to run after him but her father grabbed her arm. He __wanted her to stay there._

_"Michelle-"_

_"No!"_

_And for only being ten years old, she was also very persistent. She followed her big brother, her idol, as he brushed past them and slammed the door._

_"Just come and get me man," He pleaded to one his friends. "It's a fucked up story and I'll tell you about it later, but I need a ride to the airport. Please,"_

_After a few more seconds of one-sided conversation, he gave a quick thanks and hung up._

_"Jasey," Mitchie asked, she used her childhood nickname for him for the first time in years. Her voice sounded so desperate, and it made him hate himself all the more. "Jason. Please don't do this,"_

_"Oh Mitchie," Jason dropped down to her height. His hands pressed into her shoulders. "I'm sorry, munchkin. But I can't be here right now."_

_"I don't want you to go!" She cried, tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please don't leave me!"_

_"I'm not leaving you Mitchie. I'm not."_

_And with that, he picked her up and held her until the headlights of a car pulled into the driveway._

_"Jason! Please," She tried once more, but he shook his head and put her down._

_"I'll always be there for you, Mitchie." Jason kissed her forehead. "No one can take away the bond you and me share. I love you. Be good for mom and dad."_

_They drove away._

He never even looked back.

_"How could you?!" Mitchie demanded as she ran past her father. Her bedroom door slammed shut. "I hate you!"_

* * *

"How could you just leave?" He muttered. "How could you leave without even saying goodbye to your parents?"

"I use to want to ask you the same thing." A quite voice said from behind him.

He turned, startled to see Mitchie standing there with her arms full of boxes. Her expression was unreadable.

"I really, _really_ did. I was so..._angry_ at you for just taking off like that. And when I wasn't angry, I..._missed_ you. But I _wanted_ to be angry with you for leaving me, so I tried to pretend that I _didn't_ miss you. I refused my friends invitations to go to Connect 3 concerts. If one of your songs came on the radio, I changed the station. But I could never get you out of my head. Somehow you were always just...there! Why didn't you ever call me?"

"I wanted to," Jason promised, and he had wanted too for so long. "But I was so selfish, I felt so guilty, Mitch. For the last six years, every time I closed my eyes, the only thing I could see was you standing on the lawn watching me leave. I hated myself for what I did that night, but I can't take it back."

He crossed the room and grabbed her hands, making the boxes she had been carrying tumble to the floor.

"I want to believe that somehow I can make it up to mom and dad by looking out for you and taking care of you from now on. I want to prove to them that I'm not a screw up. Can you _ever_ forgive me, Mitch? Can you ever give me a second chance?"

"Jason," Mitchie gave him a small smile, she shook her head. "This is your second chance. And so far, you're doing a really good job."

* * *

**Song: I Miss You-Miley Cyrus**


	8. Of New Friendships, Attitudes & Brothers

They returned home the next day, Jason had arranged for their things to be delivered to the house the following day.

He was carrying her once again, her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. But this time, she was awake.

"Man you have it easy," Nate teased as he shook Jason's hand. "Jase, will you carry _me_ to the car?"

Jason laughed as he put his tired sister down. "Yeah, sure. Hop on."

"Jasey!" Mitchie complained. She was the tired one; it was around 1:00 AM, and she hadn't been able to sleep on the plane at all. "_Jase_!"

Nate was so _lazy_.

"Don't worry, Mitch." Shane used Jason's nickname for her for the first time. "I'll carry you."

"I..." She started to protest, but he cut her off by grabbing her arm and slinging her onto his back.

"What's the matter?" He teased. "You don't trust me?"

"I...guess I do,"

"Well good." Shane laughed, she grinned. "Cause if we're gonna be best friends, then you have to."

* * *

"Hey," The voice startled her; for the last two ½ hours, she had been sitting out on the terrace by herself.

Now, it seemed that she was about to get welcome company.

Nate was standing there, his guitar and notebook with him. He grinned at her, as if waiting for an invitation to join her.

"Hey yourself." Mitchie responded. She read his mind. "It's your house, Nate. You don't have to ask to join me,"

He rolled his eyes at her sarcasm before dropping down onto the chair across from her.

She had been watching the sun set, and now it was almost dusk. Their skin seemed to glow in the dim light.

"You okay?" Though he was just starting to get to know her, Nate felt this immediate connection to Jason's sister. She was so sweet and funny, a female version of the oldest Connect 3 member. It was hard not go get attached to her.

"Honestly?" She asked. Mitchie could have said the same thing about Nate, besides him being a female version of her brother. He was so likable, and they were already becoming close.

"I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel, Nate. Some days I want to laugh, and remember them. And then there are the days that I just want to sit here and feel sorry for myself."

"You can feel sorry for yourself for a little while," He told her. "But eventually you'll realize that the ones you loved and the ones you lost don't want you to wallow. They want you to live your life to the fullest. Even if they can't be there to see you doing it. You do it because you love them and you want them to be happy."

Mitchie raised an eye brow at him. How could he possibly know what she was feeling at that very moment?

Apparently Nate could read her mind as well.

"My mom died of cancer four years ago," He muttered. She could tell how much that comment had hurt him. "I was at camp when it happened, and for the longest time...I guess I blamed myself for not being there. But then my dad reminded me about how much my mom wanted me to succeed with my music. Now, every song, every note I play. It's all for her. My biggest fan,"

Mitchie reached out and grabbed his hand, holding onto it tightly. "I'm so sorry, Nate. I shouldn't have..."

"Hey. No." He covered her hand with his free one. "No, Mitchie. Trust me, I know how you feel. You can come talk to me whenever. I can help you through this."

"So," Nate continued, dropping their hands. "I was wondering if you wanted to write a song with me. It's always helped me get through the worst times in my life."

He watched her smile grow, her eyes seemed to light up as well.

"I'd really like that, Nate."

"Cool," He tossed her the notebook. "I was thinking it could go a little something like this," He began to play a melody on the guitar. "Got any ideas for lyrics?"

"Yeah," Mitchie answered, she surprised herself. Usually, it took her a few days to write a song, and even more time to write a few. "What if we could stop the world, Nate?"

* * *

"Hey Nate," Jason called out as his friend headed up the stairs. Mitchie had gone to bed an hour before, and he and Shane were sitting on the leather couch, playing video games.

"Yeah, Jase?" The youngest member asked. He stopped, his hand still rested on the rail.

"I just wanted to thank you," He began, though he had no idea where he was really going with the conversation. "For, ugh... Everything with Mitchie, I guess."

Nate grinned at him, it was just like Jason to say something like this even when it didn't need to be said.

"Jase, don't thank me. I love spending time with her. It's nice to be able to act my age once and a while."

"Anything is better than you acting like you're forty." Shane mumbled, he had paused the game so Jason could be completely focused on his conversation with the young teen. Now, he seemed irritated that it was taking so long.

"Well someone should start acting their age and I wouldn't have too." Nate shot back. He was growing tired of Shane's attitude. "Seriously, Shane. Cut the crap and start acting like yourself."

"Guys-" Jason began. He was worried that their shouting would wake up Mitchie, who hadn't been exposed to Shane's wrath yet.

"What happened to the kid who just loved music?!" He continued. He had let go of the railing and his fists were clenched.

The seventeen year old was really pissing him off.

"He grew up!" He retorted. His ever-famous scowl was present. "Sorry to disappoint." "Jase?" A quieter voice asked. Mitchie was standing there, still in her pajamas. Her eyes were red from the lack of sleep.

"Shut up, both of you!" Jason had never been one to get in between the two arguing teenagers, but now seeing his sister standing there made him want to slap both of them.

"God. Just go back to bed. Nothing to see here," As soon as the words left Shane's mouth, he regretted them. Even more so when the oldest Connect 3 member had his arm behind his back and his face pressed up against the couch.

"Nate. Mitch, go back upstairs."

They were quick to follow his order; Nate grabbed her hand and yanked her down the hall. "Don't you ever talk to her like that again, Shane. Or I'll _kick your ass_."


	9. The Big Idea

"Morning, guys." Mitchie called over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen.

Everything suddenly became deadly silent, and she turned around to face the three band members.

"_Okay_," She drew out. "What happened? What's going on?"

Shane looked angry, and not for the reasons she thought.

"For some _wonderful_ reason, our agent decided that it would be a wonderful idea for us to do an interview, announcing you as Jason's 'long-lost' sister. I thought we fired those idioms!"

Nate raised an eye brow. "Idioms."

Shane sighed. "My word of the day. And that's not the point right now, anyway! Mitchie. Talk Show. Long-Lost Little Sister of Rock Star, Jason_ Torres_ Green! _Very_ bad idea!"

"Great." She groaned, she ran a hand through her hair. "Jase? Technically, I'm not your_ long-lost_ sister. You found me, about six years after you were born."

"Well the word _estranged_ doesn't sound any better." He replied distractedly. "Which is why, and only if it's okay with you, I want to tell them the truth. I'm tired of keeping everything under wraps. I don't want to be the black sheep of the family anymore."

"Stop saying that!" She crossed the room and began to hit him. "_You_. _Are_. _Not_. _The_. _Black_. _Sheep_. _You_. _Never_. _Were_!"

"Alright, Mitch. Enough!" Shane and Nate grabbed her by the arms and pulled her off of her brother.

"God you're strong," Jason muttered, he rubbed his chest. "It's alright, guys. You can let her go. Mitch, are you okay with this?"

"Yes," _No_, she thought. _Not at all_.

"People were bound to find out some time, Jason. I guess it's better if they hear it from us rather than make up a thousand and one rumors."

"Oh," Nate reassured her. "Don't worry. There will be _plenty_ of rumors, Mitch. That's another thing you get used to. Our fans are great, but the rumors they and the paparazzi make up..."

Mitchie ruffled his hair, surprising him. No one had ever done that, not even his parents. "Dude. Just _relax_. No one believes them."

"Really?" Shane raised an eyebrow. "Ask your brother how his illegitimate children are doing."

"Ask Shane about his 'gay lover,' Rodrigo."

"Ask Nate how many times we've died, just to come back to life. We're not super hero's, Mitch. And we're not horrible drivers, either. It hasn't happened."

The band members began to laugh when they caught the look on her face. She was in complete disbelief.

"Okay. Maybe _some_ people believe those rumors, but they're going to have to believe this story because Jason and I aren't lying. Let's do this, you guys!"

She left then, running back upstairs to take a shower and get dressed.

Nate watched her leave. "Umm, Jase? _Who_ is that and _why_ is she so _cool_?"

"I've never seen a fifteen year old with that much piece of mind," Shane added.

Jason grinned. "That, friends, is my little sister. There's no one quite like her."

* * *

"Now I'm not so sure why I agreed to this," She whispered. Shane was the only one in the room with her, Jason and Nate had gone to grab a cup of coffee.

"Mitch," Shane had taken to calling her this quite often. "Hey, stop being so jumpy. You'll be fine,"

He crossed the room and grabbed her shoulders. "Seriously. Stop. You'll be fine, alright? Any question you don't want to answer, you don't have to. And if anyone tries to fuck with you, I'll fuck with them. Okay? I'll protect you, Mitch. Don't worry,"

"I'm not." Strangely, his words had made her feel better. "Just don't let Jason hear you drop F-bombs around me."

Shane rolled his eyes. The thought of his friend's 'parental' nature annoyed him. "God, you're almost sixteen. I'm pretty sure you can handle it."

"Shane." Jason snapped. "Watch your language."

"_Fuck_ it, Jase. I'm almost eighteen! I can say whatever the _fuck_ I want to!"

Mitchie began to giggle, her eyes filled with tears from laughing so hard. "You have _no_ idea how much you sounded like Jase just now!"

He narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Different time and place, Mitch. Fine, Shane, say whatever the hell you want. Just not in front of our younger fans or on TV, deal?"

"Deal," Shane answered, but he was still irritated. "Hey, Mitch. You should drop an F-bomb right here and now! I dare you,"

"Do it and you're grounded."

She glared up at him. "Oh really?"

"_Defiantly_. I have the authority to ground you, Michelle."

Realizing that he was right, she shut her mouth and turned back to the mirror. Jason gave his band mate triumphant smile.

"See, Shane? She knows who to listen to."

"It's only because I don't want to get grounded!" Mitchie promised Shane, she twirled back around in her chair. "Or else I'd do it."


	10. The Awkwardness of HotTunes

"And welcome back to HotTunes, I'm Monica Edwards!"

The crowd of teenage girls began to scream as the fake blonde gave them the fakest of smiles. Her voice was as annoying as nails on a chalkboard. "Now I hope you're as excited as I am to introduce our next guests, Connect 3!"

The boys did their duty, Jason kissed his sister's forehead and Nate and Shane kissed her on the cheek before they walked out looking calm, cool and collected.

"Welcome back, boys!" Monica squealed as she offered each band member a quick kiss. Her eyes seemed to never leave the camera, but she had years of practice. She was the worst person to do their latest story, but they were stuck with her.

Again.

"Thank you for having us," Out of the three boys, Nate had always been the best at dealing with rude and pushy people. "It's been a while,"

"So, Jason." The blonde gushed. "We were all _so_ _sorry_ to hear about the death of your parents. How are you dealing with the grief?"

"My parents were wonderful people," Jason began. His eyes were hard. "But I'm very lucky to have the support of my band mates, my fans and my sister as well."

"And that's why we're all here! I understand that you've recently gained custody of Michelle?"

"Yup. I'm her legal guardian."

"Shane? Nate? What's it like to have a young lady living at that wonderful Connect 3 mansion?"

Shane chuckled. "It's been a lot of fun. Mitchie is a really down to earth kind of girl. The kid is funny, and a defiantly cuter version of our friend, Jason, here."

Mitchie blushed backstage. _Shane Gray_ had just called _her cute!_

"Nate?"

"Defiantly. I think Shane said just about the right thing." Nate nodded at his friend. "For me, it's nice having someone my age around. I feel like she and I have this kind of bond, already. We've been writing songs together, and I really value Mitchie's input."

"And Jason, how does it feel to be taking care of a young teenager?" Monica pried. She thrust the mic in his face. "Tell us!"

"I love my sister," He replied simply. "And right now we're taking things slow, but it's been really great so far. She's such a sweetheart, and I really love having her back in my life."

"Well," Monica paused. That wasn't the answer she had been hoping for. "Why don't we meet this lovely young lady. Michelle! Come on out!"

She was given a light shove, apparently she wasn't moving as quick as the stage manager would have liked.

"It's wonderful to meet you, darling!" She gushed, wrapping the fifteen year old up in a hug. "Come sit next to your brother."

Jason wrapped his arm around her shoulder in the way only an older brother could and kissed the side of her head.

"It's alright, Mitch." He whispered.

"So, Michelle-"

"_Mitchie_," She pronounced carefully. "_Please_. Just call me Mitchie,"

"Right," Monica blinked. "_Mitchie_. So, how does it feel being the _only_ girl living in a house full of young men?"

"It's great," Mitchie responded. She wasn't buying Monica's false-sweetness for once second. "You know, Jason's really making sure that I have everything I need, and Shane and Nate are really good friends,"

"So I understand that you and Jason have actually been estranged for the last six years." Now, Monica was starting to piss her off. "What was life like for you, after your brother _abandoned_ your family?"

That did it.

Jason tried to hold her back, he could feel her shaking terribly and it worried him even more.

"Mitch," He hissed, his tone was a warning. But he had never been good at calming her down when she became angry.

"How _dare_ you!" Mitchie whispered. Shane and Nate looked taken aback. "You have no idea what our life was like back then. If you _really_ want to know; Jason _always_ put me first. He used to tell me that I was the most important person in his world, and you know what? He's doing what most twenty one year olds would never do. He's taking care of afifteen year old who doesn't have anyone else."

And to Monica's shock, Jason began to laugh. He grabbed her head with his hands and kissed her hairline.

"This," He muttered, though the audience could hear him very clearly. "_This_ is why I love you."

Even Shane and Nate were holding back their laughter.

"Yes...Well...Right," The blonde stuttered before glancing at her stage manager. Even he was laughing,

"And now, I do believe that Connect 3 has a new song to play for us. Well, boys." Monica pointed towards the stage. "Go on,"

_Hey turn on that radio_  
_As loud as it can go_  
_Wanna dance until my feet cant feel the ground_

_Say goodbye to all my fears_  
_One good song, they disappear_  
_And nothing in the world can bring me down_

_Hand clapping, hip shaking, heartbreaking, theres no faking_  
_What you feel when you it ride it home, yeah_

_Musics in my soul_  
_I can hear it every day and every night_  
_Its the one thing on my mind_

_Musics got control_  
_And I'm never letting go, no, no_  
_I just wanna play my music_

_Music_  
_Got my six string on my back_  
_Don't need anything but that_  
_Everything I want is here with me_

_So forget that fancy car_  
_I don't need to go that far_  
_And whats driving me is following my dreams, yeah_

_Hand clapping, Earth shaking, heartbreaking, theres no faking_  
_What you feel when you're on a roll, yeah, yeah_

_Musics in my soul_  
_I can hear it every day and every night_  
_Its the one thing on my mind_

_Musics got control_  
_And I'm never letting go, no, no_  
_I just wanna play my music_  
_I just wanna play my music_

_Cant imagine what it'd be like_  
_Without the sound of all my heroes singing all my favorite songs_  
_So I can sing along_

_Musics in my soul_  
_I can hear it every day and every night_  
_Its the one thing on my mind_

_Musics got control_  
_And I'm never letting go, no, no_  
_I just wanna play my music_

_Musics in my soul_  
_I can hear it every day and every night_  
_Its the one thing on my mind_

_Musics got control_  
_And I'm never letting go, no, no_  
_I just wanna play my music_  
_All night long_  
_Yeah_

* * *

"You." Monica hissed as the boys took a bow. She had been standing backstage, watching intently. She hadn't even heard the fake blonde come up behind her.

"Oh," Mitchie was unsure of how to react. _"Hi-"_

"You little bitch-"

A hand was suddenly wrapping around her own, pulling her into the side of a very royally pissed off Shane Gray. "What did you just call her?"

"I...Umm..." Monica Edwards didn't want to be the reason that Connect 3 never returned to HotTunes. "Shane..."

"Calling my friend a bitch is a big mistake." His voice was so dark, and it scared her. Shane would never hurt a woman, but he could startle her. "See if we ever come back here again,"

And with that, he walked away, dragging the brunet along behind him.

"Thanks, Shane."

"No problem." He replied. "Like I said. If they fuck with you, they fuck with me. Now come on,"

* * *

**Song: Play My Music-Jonas Brothers**


	11. Shane Gray: In Charge

"Hey, Jase. Where are you going?"

_Damn._ He thought.

He had been hoping to sneak out the front door while his band mates and sister sat on the couch, watching their interview over and over again.

It had been Nate to be the one to just turn around slightly and see him reach out to grab the door knob.

"Yeah, Jason." His Mitchie mimicked. "Where _are_ you going?"

"None of your business," Jason replied. He reached out to grab the knob, but the second oldest band member moved to stand in front of the door.

"Look at the way he's dressed, you guys." Shane accused. "You know what this means, don't you? He's got _a_ _date_!"

The two teenagers were at his side within seconds, bombarding the twenty one year old with a million and one questions.

"Guys!" Jason clamped a hand over both of their mouths, finally shutting them up. He dragged the two kids back to the couch and threw them down before finally letting them go. "Okay. _Fine_. Let me have it."

"_What's her name?!"_

_"When did you meet her?!"_

_"When do we get to meet her?!"_

_"Is she cute?!"_

_"How long have you guys been dating?!"_

And

_"When were you going to tell us?!"_

"We haven't been dating for _that_ long. Yes, she's absolutely _beautiful_. If she wants to come over for a drink, then you can meet her tonight. She's a model, and I met her during my solo photo shoot two months ago. Her name is Hayley, and I didn't think I could keep it a secret for much longer."

Jason, surprisingly said the sentence in one breath. He watched his friends carefully. "You guys done? Cause I'm gonna be late."

"No, no." Mitchie waved him away. "She sounds great, Jasey. I can't wait to meet her."

"She's heard a lot about you, Mitch." He replied. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Shane's in charge if anything goes wrong, alright? I'll have my phone on me all night. Be good and listen to the guys. Love you,"

"Love you too,"

Shane wrapped his arms around the two fifteen year old's and leaned forward. "Now don't stay out too late, young man." His comment made the group of four crack up before the oldest band member was literally pushed out the door.

Now, the oldest teen in the room turned to face the others. "So. What do you guys wanna do tonight? The house is all ours."

Nate and Mitchie shared a devious look before they ran up to their respective bedrooms.

Shane watched them leave. He ran a hand through his hair, thoroughly confused. Of course, his confusion soon ended as the two teenagers came back down the stairs with pillows in their hands.

"Oh good lord," Shane muttered. He reached out and tried to grab the slim brunet girl, but Nate covered her with a hit that sent him flying backwards.

"You just had to teach him how to be a kid, didn't you?" The rock star growled. He grabbed the nearest pillow, the one on the couch and chucked it at the curly haired teen.

"You're next." He warned Mitchie.

Mitchie grabbed Nate's pillow and chucked it at him before throwing her own.

Shane shook his head, a dark smile appeared on his face. He dive bombed her, knocking her down onto the plush carpet. "Nate! Help me out here!"

Both boys held her down before beginning to tickle her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she laughed. Her laugh was enough to make them keep going, and it made them grin as well. Mitchie's smile was contagious.

"Truce!"

"That's not gonna work this time, Mitch. _You_ started this! And now, Nate and I are going to _end_ this!"

She looked up at the curly haired guitarist, he offered her a wink and she grinned. Nate would always be on her side.

"Shane!" Nate called out suddenly. The older boy looked up, alarmed. It was just the moment of distraction he had been hoping for.

The stronger than he looked fifteen year old boy wrapped his arms around his brother figure and trapped him in a headlock. Mitchie joined him on holding the rock star down.

"That's it!" Shane challenged. He stood up, grabbing both teens under his arms as if they were children and carried them outside.

"There is no way that I'm leaving you two together." He announced as he shoved Nate out the back door and locked it. He let Mitchie drop to her feet only to grab her arm and steer her back towards the leather couches.

"You _asked_ us what we wanted to do!" She reminded him as she tried to free herself from his grasp.

"I didn't think you guys were going to attack me!" Shane joked, he threw a pillow at her. "Here. Go to bed, or something."

Mitchie chucked it back at him. "_You_ go to bed!"

"_You_ go to bed."

"No, _you_! God you are so annoying! God, Shane! How does your girlfriend put up with you?!"

"Why," He teased. "Are you jealous? And by the way, right now, I don't have one."

Both teens began to laugh, they grinned knowingly at each other. But all too soon, Mitchie stopped laughing and watched him carefully.

"Why do you act like that?" She demanded suddenly. Her comment made him stop laughing, and he looked her at intently. "A jerk, I mean. Why do you act like a jerk?"

"Hey, being a jerk is part of the rock star image." Shane replied, he was still in awe. No one had ever asked him that before. "Keeping up an image can be tiring."

"But it keeps the posers away." He found himself admitting. He didn't know what made Jason's little sister so different; he had never told anyone this. Not even Nate and Jason, who would have understood exactly how he felt. "I never know if people are hanging with me for the free stuff, or for the parties."

"Oh, definitely the free stuff." Mitchie joked, she tried to lighten the situation. And yet, she also wondered why, exactly, was Shane Gray telling her this when he barely knew her.

"Funny."

"Come on, I know you really not a jerk. I mean you defended me from that reporter the other day, and those screaming girls seem to like you."

"Which brings me back to the whole jealous thing."

"I take that back!" Mitchie declared, she slapped his chest before getting up to run. "You are a jerk!"

Shane chased her, but he couldn't catch her in time before she let Nate back inside.

"God, you jerk!" Nate joked as he shoved the older boy. "It's so cold out there!"

"Sorry, man." Shane replied, but he didn't look very sorry. "I didn't know that the door was locked!"

The two fifteen year old's shared a look.

"Get him." They said together before running to retrieve their pillows.


	12. Accidents Will Happen

"So," Jason opened the car door for his date. She had parked in the driveway, a fact that he had yet to share with his sister and band mates. He hadn't wanted to scare her.

"Do you want to come in and meet everyone? It's not that late, and I'm sure Mitchie's still awake."

"I'd love too," Hayley replied sweetly. At twenty years old, she was the most amazing girl Jason had ever met.

"Awesome," He wrapped his hand around hers and led her towards the front door. He could barely put his key in the lock before the door swung open.

"Jase." Shane's head poked out. "I, um...The house keeper comes _tomorrow_...Right?"

"Yeah..." The twenty one year old narrowed his eyes, he just knew... "Shane. _What_ did you let them do?"

He opened the door and stepped aside so Jason could see the feathers strewn everywhere.

"And here I thought Nate acted like a forty year old man."

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres!" Jason called, even though there was an evident smile on his face. "What the hell, Mitch?"

Mitchie had her head on Nate's lap, both were collapsed on the floor. "Hey, Jasey!" She called, lifting her head up before dropping it back down.

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres," He repeated. He momentarily forgot about Hayley, until she began to laugh.

"Hayley! I swear...The house usually doesn't look like this."

She shook her head, ready to cry. "You have no idea how funny this is!"

Jason was laughing too, as he crossed the room and pulled the two teenagers to their feet.

"This," He ruffled the boy's hair. "Is Nate,"

Suddenly, being serious, Nate stepped forward and offered her his hand. "Hey. It's really nice to meet you."

"And this is Shane,"

"Hey. It's great to meet you."

"And this," Jason kept his arm around the slim brunet, he squeezed her shoulders. "This is my baby sister, Michelle. But we all call her Mitchie."

"It's really nice to finally meet you," Hayley said honestly. She reached out to take the younger girl's hand. "I can't tell you how excited Jason was for you to come and live with him." Mitchie blushed.

"I've heard a lot about you...Right before your date with my brother."

The girls laughed, making Jason blush in the process.

"Hayley, I can explain..."

"It's fine, Jase," She promised. "I completely understand."

She realized how much she liked this girl, Hayley Anderson, and how perfect she was for her older brother.

"You guys look tired," Jason announced suddenly. The others were quick to take a hint; Shane grabbed Nate's arm and pulled him towards the staircase.

"Get some sleep, Mitch." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too, Jasey." Mitchie followed the two halfway up the stairs until they were sure he couldn't see them.

"Now that we're alone," Hayley muttered. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Now quite," Jason told her. He glanced up. "_Shane Adam_, _Nathaniel Richard_ and _Michelle Elizabeth_, go to bed now. Or you'll regret it."

The teenagers, giggling like children, ran upstairs to their respective bedrooms.

* * *

They were sitting eating breakfast, Mitchie had made muffins that morning. One _obvious_ person was missing.

"I think Mitchie's been here long enough to start doing the rotation." Nate announced. He grabbed his glass of orange juice and chugged it.

"No way." Jason's over protective nature was starting to piss her off. "There is no way in hell that my baby sister is going to be around The Hothead when he's at his worst. He's _never_ in a good mood in the morning, Nate."

"Well maybe she could at least help me out this morning. He'll go easier on me if she's there."

He watched the two teenagers carefully. Mitchie gave him her famous puppy dog eyes and he sighed.

"Fine. But if anything happens..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Mitchie grabbed Nate's hand and pulled him off down the hall. "We'll send for back up, Jasey."

"Mitch..."

She ignored him, continuing to drag the fifteen year old boy up the stairs. "God, he treats me like I'm five sometimes!"

"You'll see why in a minuet," Nate advised her. He released her hand, only to grab it again so that he was the one leading this time. "Hey. Go grab me a glass of water, please?"

Mitchie returned and reached out to hand him the glass, but he shook his head. "This is the fun part. _This_, you'll enjoy."

They crept into Shane's large room, laughing silently at how messy it was. The living room was still covered with feathers, and between that and his room, the poor house keeper deserved a raise. Nate, Jason and Mitchie kept their rooms spotless.

"Wakey wakey, Shane!" Nate called out to him cheerfully. "Time for another wonderful day!"

"Go. Away. Nathaniel." Was the seventeen year old's mumbled reply. He offered her a wink before nodding. Without having to be told, Mitchie knew exactly what to do. She crept to his side, muttering a quick apology under her breath.

With one more nod from Nate, she threw the water at him. An ugly groan filled the house as Shane sat up to find the culprit.

"You're dead!" He warned, he threw the covers off and went after her.

If there was one thing Mitchie Torres was, it was a klutz. She had been heading towards the stairs, her intent to get to Jason and have him protect her. But before Shane could grab her, Mitchie tumbled down the stairs and landed with a thud on the floor.

"Mitch!" Jason screamed as he cradled her head in his lap. "Mitch. Can you hear me? Wake up!"


	13. Of Blame and Forgiveness

"Jason Green?" The nurse poked her head around the corridor, there was a clipboard with her than she glanced down at every so ofter.

Nate, Jason and Shane were sitting in a private waiting room at the local hospital. Nate was sitting with his legs crossed, Shane was next to him with his head in his hands.

This was _his_ fault.

Jason was the only one standing, and he paced back and forth, back and forth. He hadn't spoken to Shane since her accident.

Now, as the nurse came back, he wanted to grab her arm and shake her. But instead, he got as close to her as he could without intruding on her personal space and asked: "Is she okay?!"

"Michelle has a minor concussion, a cut on her forehead that needed stitches, some bruising and a bad sprained ankle." The nurse explained. "But don't worry, Mr. Green. Your sister is young and healthy. She'll bounce back fast."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Jason said, and he meant it. He was grateful for the hospital staff for their hard work. "Can I see her?"

"Of course. But the police are here, and they have a few questions for you first."

He groaned. "Of course. Anything they need. Nate? Will you-"

"Sure, Jase." Nate got up and offered the nurse a polite nod before heading off towards her room.

"Jason Green?" A police officer asked. "Can we talk somewhere a little more privately, son?"

"Of course." And with one last fleeting look at Shane, he followed the uniformed officer out into the hallway.

* * *

"N-Nate?" Mitchie asked hesitantly. She was wearing a hospital gown, her right ankle was wrapped and there was gauze on her forehead. "What happened?"

"You fell down the stairs, Mitch." He told her. Nate dropped down onto the chair beside her bed and took her hand. "How do you feel?"

She groaned, and he knew what her answer was.

"Like shit." Nate translated.

Mitchie let out a hoarse laugh. "Where's Jason?"

He sighed, he didn't want to tell her, but she would find out on her own eventually. "He's um...A police officer wanted to talk to him."

"_Oh my god_."

"Hey, hey, hey." His grip tightened on her hand. "It's alright, okay Mitch? They know it was an accident. But they have to follow up. Don't worry, okay?"

* * *

"What exactly happened here, son?"

Jason felt like he was being interrogated. "My friend Shane sleeps in to much, so Nate and I take turns waking him up. Mitchie wanted to help, so I finally agreed after Nate promised he'd go with her. She threw water on him, because that's the quickest way to do it, and he went to chase her. No one in our family is very graceful, and she tripped and fell down the stairs."

The officer nodded as he wrote all of this down in his notebook before looking up at the twenty one year old. "Because of your sister's injuries, we need to investigate. When your sister recovers a little more, do we have your permission to speak to her so she could collaborate your story?"

"Sure. Maybe tomorrow? After she's gotten a good night's sleep."

"Sure, sure. Thank you for your time." He turned to leave. "Oh, and Mr. Green? Your sister will not be allowed to return to your care until our investigation is complete."

"Jase," Shane joined him in the hallway. "Hey. How'd it-"

"I might _lose_ custody of Mitchie because of this!" Jason shouted, cutting his friend off in mid-sentence.

"Jason-"

He refused to look him in the eye. "If I lose her, I will _never_ forgive you. Now, please. Leave me alone before I really get pissed off."

Jason walked away, the only thing on his mind was Mitchie. He didn't look back to see tears streaming down Shane's cheeks.

* * *

"Mitch," Jason whispered as he walked into the room. The way she looked right then and there scared the hell out of him. "Hey. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Jasey. What did the cop say?"

They both looked at Nate.

"Hey," He threw his hands up in the air. "She was going to find out sooner or later. I just thought it might be better if she heard it sooner! Anyway, I'm going to go to the cafeteria. You guys want anything?"

"No thanks," The siblings answered in unison. As Nate got up, Jason patted him on the back before taking his spot beside his sister.

"You okay?" He demanded, he reached over and took both of her hands in his.

"I'm fine, Jason." Mitchie promised him. "God you worry too much. You just blew up at Shane, didn't you?"

"How did you..."

"I'm your sister, I'm part of you," She reminded him, giving him a light shove. "Seriously, Jase. It was an accident. You need to go and apologize."

* * *

"Hey,"

Shane glanced up at his older friend, surprised that he was even talking to him. "Hey. Jase. How is she?"

"She'll be fine," Jason reassured him. "She's still a pain in the butt, even with a concussion. Anyway, I think we need to talk."

"Sure," He slid over, making room for the older boy to drop down next to him. "Is everything okay?"

Jason paused, unsure of what to say. In all their years of friendship, he never had had to apologize to Shane Gray. "I...I'm _sorry_, Shane, I was just so worried about Mitchie...I took I out on you and I shouldn't have. I'm _so_ sorry,"

He felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder, and the two boys shared a small smile. "I tried to grab her, Jase. I really did."

"It wasn't your fault." Jason promised. He stood up. "Come on,"

"Where are we going?"

He held out a hand, flapping it impatiently at his friend. "To go see my sister. She's been asking for you,"

"Really?" Shane laughed and got to his feet.

"Yeah, I know. It surprised me too." He was joking, slightly.

Call it brother's intuition, he thought that Mitchie had a little crush on his best friend. But nothing would happen between them. Mitchie wasn't dating until she turned thirty.

* * *

"Hey,"

"Hey, pop star." Mitchie greeted. She and Nate had been laughing at something on TV. Now, the shaggy haired rock star had her full attention. "Come on in,"

"It's _rock star_, Mitch." Shane was quick to correct her. He sat down on the couch and stretched. "Are you okay?"

"Can you guys _stop_ asking me that?!" Her strength seemed to be growing by the second.

"Nope." Jason took the chair next to her bedside. "Sorry. It's just in our nature. So Mitch, I think I'm gonna stay here with you tonight,"

"Jason! I'm not a kid," Mitchie complained. She tried to hit him, but he blocked her.

"Seriously. You guys all go home. I think I can take care of myself for a night."

"But..." Her brother began to protest, the two younger Connect 3 members grabbed him under the arms and began to drag him out of the room. "Alright, fine! I'll be back tomorrow you little brat. I love you!"

"Love you too, Jasey." She whispered, already falling asleep. "Love you too."


	14. Back to Normal

"Awesome," Jason cheered as he walked into her hospital room. "Thank you so much!"

He ended the call and dropped his phone back into his pocket. "Great news, guys. They investigator ruled Mitchie's fall as an accident and they're not going to file a report."

The three teenagers were watching TV, and they barely looked up. She was in between the two boys, for reasons only known to himself, Shane was sitting beside her on the bed. His arm was drapped across the back of her pillows, her head just barely resting on his shoulder.

Her elbow was resting on Nate's arm, linked through her own.

"Yeah. That's great," They answered in unison, their lack of interest made him want to scold them. But he didn't get the change.

"Are you ready to discharge, Miss. Green?" A nurse asked. She handed a clipboard and pen to Jason before going to undo Mitchie's IV.

The two siblings didn't bother to correct her. Jason signed the papers, scribbling his signature perfectly.

"Thank you so much for taking such good care of my sister. We all really appreciate it."

"Not a problem," The nurse smiled at them all before going to help another patient.

"Come on, Mitch." Jason had brought her a pair of sweatpants and his hoddie; she had changed earlier that morning.

Now, he took his little sister's arm and slid it around his shoulder before lifting her into his arms. He carried her down the hall.

"Jase!" Mitchie protested, though she held onto him tightly. "This is ridiculous."

"No buts, Mitch. I don't want you going up or down the stairs at home without one of us helping you. For at least two weeks,"

"Jase-"

"Just agree with him, Mitchie." Shane

pleaded, he held the door open for the pair. "Please. It'll be so much easier if you just agree,"

"Alright," She muttered, glaring at him. "Fine. But I'm not helpless, Jase!"

He ignored this, carrying her out to the car. He was driving the Range Rover, Nate climbed into the back with her.

"Does this mean I can have _whatever_ I want?" She asked suddenly. She leaned forward and tried to give him her puppy dog eyes.

He didn't even have to look to give in. "Of course, Mitch."

"God, you are so spoiled." Nate muttered. That comment earned him a slap. "Michelle Elizabeth Torres..."

Jason glanced back at him, a smug grin on his face. "Sorry, man. That only works when I do it."

He waited.

"It's true." Mitchie admitted. "No offense, Natie. But he has that type of authority over me. It doesn't work with anyone else."

Nate poked her waist, making her stick her tongue out at him.

Things were back to normal.

* * *

"Shane." Jason called. "Hey! Have you seen my jacket?"

"Which one?" He answered back, he shot Mitchie and Nate an apologetic smile. "You only have about _thirty_ of them."

"Ha!" Mitchie laughed. "That is so true."

"_Michelle Elizabeth_..." Jason practically ran down the stairs. "How the hell did you get down here? You were just upstairs in your room half a hour ago! And these two haven't gotten up since we got home. Did you walk down the stairs, young lady?"

They all thought he was greatly over reacting.

"God, Jase. Sue me," Mitchie replied with a sly smile. "I'm _sorry_, alright? I wanted to come downstairs and watch TV with the guys, who are _very_ lazy, by the way. You said so yourself, they haven't moved since we got home, and you were so busy primping-"

"Whoa, hey. Whoa," Jason cut her off. "I do not _primp_!"

"Whatever. Look, the point is, I made it down the stairs safe and sound, and I didn't get _killed_ or _maimed_ or _anything_. Okay?"

"Shane." The oldest boy touched his shoulder. "When she goes to bed tonight, _carry_ her."

Shane winked at his best friend before grabbing the fifteen year old around the waist and lifting her into the air.

She squealed. The boys laughed, and then Jason went to answer the door. Hayley was standing outside, looking as beautiful as ever.

"Hayley!" Mitchie called. "I'm so glad you're here! You have _no_ idea what they put me through when we're alone!"

Hayley laughed as Shane turned the girl upside down, holding her over his shoulder.

The blood was rushing to the brunet's head, and it made her face turn bright red.

"I think you need to get out of the house and spend some time with the girls," She said, after her laughter had calmed down. "Why don't we go shopping this weekend? If it's okay with your brother, of course."

Jason blinked. The thought of his date, soon to be girlfriend, he was hoping. The thought of his date hanging out with his little sister had never even crossed his mind. "Of course. I think that's a really good idea."

The two girls grinned at each other before Jason wrapped his arm the girl's waist. "Shane. Put her down,"

He kissed his sister's hairline before heading out. "Love you, Mitch.

"I love you too, Jase!" Mitchie watched as he led Hayley outside.

They were in love, she could tell.


	15. Girls Day

"Hey!" Hayley greeted as the fifteen year old got into her red Ferrari 458 Italia. "You excited?"

"Defiantly!" Mitchie responded, though she was a little nervous. "Ugh...Wow. _Great_ car!"

She laughed. "You're still trying to get used to all these flashy things, aren't you?"

"You have _no_ idea." She admitted. "Connect 3's personal stylist came and _measured_ me yesterday, and now she's making me a _dress_ for the premier of that movie the guys guest starred in a last year."

"Oh yeah! Jason invited me to that,"

The girls grinned at each other, so happy that they wouldn't be left alone with the Connect 3 boys.

Mitchie had one question that she was dying to ask Hayley. "So are you and my brother official?"

"We're _dating._" Hayley explained, she changed lanes before turning right. "But we're not _official_. He wants to take things slow, and I really respect that."

"Well I think he's really lucky to have met you,"

She glanced at the teenager and smiled again. "Mitchie, you are _so_ fricken cute! You know, even before Jason knew you were coming to live with him, he talked about you all the time."

"So I've heard." Mitchie watched all the cars and shops pass by. Her face was thoughtful.

"It's not like I didn't want to go see him all those times that I could have. I dodged his phone calls, and most of his texts too. Jase sent me birthday and Christmas presents. Last year he gave me a locket, and I wore it almost every day. That's something I've never told him, though."

"Mitchie," Hayley touched her arm. "You both need to let go of all that hurt and resentment. You'll never be completely healed until you do, and it's not healthy."

"I don't think Jason knows how to." She muttered, she wasn't sure if Hayley could hear her, but she didn't care. "And I _know_ that I don't know how to."

* * *

They were each finishing checking out, when the flash of a camera began to blind Mitchie through the store window.

Hayley remained calm as she slipped her sunglasses over her eyes, took her shopping bag from the cashier and grabbed the younger girl's hand.

"It's alright. Just smile and answer their questions with the most vague answers you can come up with."

Mitchie blinked before pushing her own sunglasses on and following her out. She kept hold of her hand for dear life, she was afraid that if she let go, she would be swept up in all of the gossip that the reporters wanted to spread.

_"Hayley! Are the rumors about you and Jason Green True?!"_

_"Michelle! How does it feel to have your brother back in your life?!"_

_"Hayley! Is it true that you're pregnant?!"_

Both girls let out a giggle at the last comment.

"Jason wears a purity ring." Mitchie reminded them, She held up her right hand. "We _all_ do."

Hayley's grip on her hand tightened as they prepared to cross the street. The paparazzi were following them, of course. They shouted more rumors while the girls laughed.

* * *

"Hey!" Mitchie called as she walked into the house, Hayley was right behind her.

"Hey, how was it?" Jason asked, he didn't even look up from his video game. "Did the stalker-azi get to you?"

"Chanel four. Watch HotTunes," Hayley advised. She reached out to take the remote.

His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Don't. Even. _Think_. About. It."

Mitchie took this as her cue, and despite her sprain, dove and grabbed the controller out of his hand.

Now, all of his attention was focused on his sister. "Aww, Mitch! Give it back!" He demanded, sounding exactly like Shane when he so desperately wanted something.

She told him so.

"I heard that!" Shane called from the pool.

"Sorry," She yelled back, before pausing Jason's game. Hayley changed the channel.

Jason grabbed his sister around the waist, pulling her down onto his lap. "_Fine_. But after this, I get to go back to my game."

"Or," Mitchie blinked innocently. "You could spend some time with the _very_ beautiful girl sitting beside you. Hinty hint hint."

He raised an eye brow.

"I didn't tell her to say it."

"Shh!" The fifteen year old whiner. "It's starting!"

_"Is Jason Green dating super model Hayley Anderson? They have recently been spotted having dinner together."_

A video of the two was shown as the voice droned on. Watching it, one might never know they were dating, as they walked casually. Like friends.

_"And today, the beauty queen was seen shopping with Jason's adorable little sister, Mitchie."_

Pictures and another video were shown of the pair. Candid shots of them laughing, and walking.

_"Hayley! Is it true you're pregnant?!"_

_"Jason wears a promise ring. We all do,"_

Jason rolled his eyes at his sister's sarcasm. He poked her side, his other arm was tight around her waist, preventing her from going anywhere.

"Aww, they think you're _adorable_. How sweet,"

"That's just because they don't know her yet." Nate muttered as he passed through. Mitchie looked at Jason, who reluctantly let go of her.

"Mitch, your ankle." He called after her in a warning tone. She gave him a mock salute before limping off after Nate.

"So," Hayley dropped down next to him. "A little alone time never hurt."

"You are most certainly right," Jason draped his arm across her shoulders. "Hey. Thanks for taking her out. I think she could really use a girl friend right now."

"She's sweet, Jase. Anytime you need me, I'll be there for her. Alright?"

"Alright," He whispered, and suddenly, they were very close, ready to kiss.

A noise stopped them, Shane called out to him.

"Jase! Mitchie fell into the pool!"

The two groaned, both wearing the same smile before he jumped up and offered her his hand, before going after his number one girl.


	16. Mitchie's not in New Jersey anymore

"Mitchie." Nate was shaking her. "Mitch, c'mon! You're _not_ Shane. You should _not_ be this hard to wake up,"

"Sorry." She mumbled, barely opening her eyes. "Why do I have to get up?"

"The premier is today. Now get up and come downstairs, Joan is waiting to do your final fitting. She wants to see how the dress looks,"

When she still didn't want to wake up, Nate yanked the covers off of her and picked her up. He was supposed to help her down the stairs anyway.

"And here I thought I was hard to wake up," Shane stifled a yawn as Nate laid her down on the couch next to him. "Welcome to the club,"

They shook hands, making the fifteen year old boy laugh in the process. Jason carried over two cups of coffee and handed them off. "Here, you guys. It'll get you going."

"You're going to let a _fifteen_ _year_ _old_ drink coffee?"

"Yeah," He shrugged. "Once, when she was like...I dunno, eight, Mitch? Anyway, she grabbed my coffee cup by mistake and drank the whole thing. She loves coffee, don't you, munchkin?"

The use of her childhood nickname earned him a giant smile. "I do love coffee,"

"Mitchie, are you ready?" Joan asked. There was a garment bag over her arm; she had told the boys they wouldn't be allowed to see her dress until that night.

"Sure," She went to hobble back up the stairs.

Her stitches had come out the day before, and she was left with a sweet little scar above her forehead. Her ankle was taking longer to heal.

"Mitch-"

"You don't need to carry me upstairs, again. Jase.

After the other night, when she had walked down by herself, the three boys, under his command, of course, had carried her up and down. It was really annoying.

And yet, as Jason saw her use holding onto the rail with both hands, he quickly and quietly walked up behind her and picked her up.

"Jason!"

"Oh, just shut up, Mitch."

* * *

He left them upstairs in her bedroom, closing the door securely behind him. As soon as they were alone, the sweet woman turned to her with a grin.

"Okay, Mitchie." Joan unzipped the garment bag, slowly pulling the finished product out. "Tell me what you think."

"I think..." For once in her life, Mitchie was speechless.

The silver, shimmering dress was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "I think I _love_ it!"

Joan grinned. "It's the perfect dress for you, if I do say so myself. Can you try it on for me once? Just so I can know if I need to make any last minuet adjustments?"

Feeling rather giddy, she took the dress and ran into her bathroom before flinging off her pajamas and slipping the fabric on. It was amazing.

The dress hugged her in all the right places, it was strapless, and fell just to her knees. She had already been given a pair of silver heels to wear, and she had the perfect accessory. The locket Jason had sent her for her birthday.

"Mitchie? Everything alright in there, hon?"

Mitchie blushed, even though no one was around to see her, before she opened the door and stepped out.

"What do you think?" She smiled.

"I don't think there will be a more beautiful girl at this party."

* * *

Connect 3 had their own hair and make up stylist, usually paid to do work on their female back up singers and dancers.

Though a rumor had circulated that Shane Gray wore eye shadow.

Adir Abergel and Pat McGarth had sent her to take a shower before trapping her in her bedroom.

Now, Mitchie sat in the uncomfortable, portable stylist's chair, bored out of her mind.

So, she texted Nate.

_SOS._

He texted back five seconds later.

_'Oh, this is an SOS. Don't wanna second guess, that is the bottom like. It's true, I gave my all for you. Now my heart's in two, and I can't find the other half...' That's probably not the SOS you were talking about, huh?_

Mitchie rolled her eyes. Only he could make her feel better at a time like this.

_No. Not at all. God, this is torture hell, Nate. Why can't I just stay home tonight?_

_Because Jason would never let you? Just stay calm, Mitch. You're almost done. I promise I won't leave you tonight, okay? You'll be fine :)._

_Thanks, Natie._

Adir ran a brush through her now dry hair. "How about lots of curls?"

Mitchie stared at her pale reflection in the mirror. Her looks were now in their hands. "That sounds great. I totally trust you,"

She was turned away from the mirror so she would be surprised.

And an hour later, after her scalp felt burnt by the curling iron, and she had a lot of makeup on, she was. And that scared her.

* * *

"Where is she?" Shane demanded. He was driving, and if there was one thing he hated, it was having to wait on anyone. "Your sister or not, Jase...God damn she's slow."

"Shut up." Was Jason's reply. "Don't you even _start_ being The Hothead tonight, alright? This is her first real time being out with the three of us, and I mean both Mitchie and Hayley, and I want to make it special for them."

"It's gonna be a lot of fun," Hayley promised them. She had just gotten out of her car, and was now walking up the driveway. "Don't worry, Jason."

He sighed. "It's not even you that I'm so worried about. It's Mitchie. This stuff kind of freaks her out."

"We'll look out for her, Jason." Nate dropped his hand to rest on the older boy's shoulder. "I promise. At lease one of us will be with her at all times, alright?"

All three boys looked amazing. They wore tuxes, Shane was the only one without a tie. He never found any use for them.

Hayley was in a dark blue, bell-sleeved dress. Her hair was piled up on her head in a bun.

She was so beautiful.

"Hey," Jason finally greeted her. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "You look amazing,"

"I could say the same thing about you." She squeezed his hand. "So, where's Mitchie?"

"Right here!" She called out, the door opened and there stood the most beautiful girl that Jason had ever seen.

Hayley looked at the remaining two members of Connect 3, and knew they were thinking the exact same thing. Especially Shane.

"Mitch," Jason muttered, he came to help her down the steps. "You look amazing. So, _grown up_. I don't like that," He joked.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm glad my big brother approves."

They started to walk back to the others before he stopped, finally noticing what was hanging around her neck.

"Hey..." He said quietly. "_I_ gave you this,"

"I wore it almost every day last year,"

Jason grinned, much like he did when they were growing up and she had played her first song on the guitar. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her back to the others.

"You look great," Shane told her. He picked up her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"Thank you," Mitchie blushed. He walked over and opened the passengers side door for her.

"You really do look amazing, Mitch." Nate squeezed her shoulders. "Really. Those paparazzi won't know what hit them."

* * *

"Now I'm nervous." Shane pulled into their reserved parking spot, very close to the front, before glancing over at her.

"Hey. Mitch, we've been over this. We won't let you out of our sight, okay?"

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better."

Nate chuckled and got out before opening her door. He had to practically lift her out, even going so far as to unbuckling her seat belt for her. "Mitchie. You'll be fine."

Jason, who was still acting very casual with Hayley, reached out and grabbed her hand. Instead of giving it a quick squeeze like he usually did, he held on. Mitchie gave him a grateful smile.

Shane and Nate flanked the girls, as if to try and protect them somehow.

"Shane!" A man, most likely in his late thirties, waved at the approaching group. "Jason, Nate! Hey guys!"

"Hey, Paul!" Nate called back, and when they were close enough, he reached out to shake the man's hand. "Hey man. Great to see you. Mitchie, Hayley. This is Paul, he directed the movie."

"Oh," Paul offered Mitchie his hand. "This must be Jason's famous little sister. It's wonderful to finally meet you, Mitchie. Anyway, enjoy yourselves, guys. I'll see you later."

"How many people have you told about me, Jase?" She demanded as he took hold of her hand again.

"Just about everyone we've ever worked with," Shane teased. "Don't worry, Mitch. There's gonna be a lot of more of people who know about you when you don't know a thing about them."

"Shut up, Shane."

The photographers were waiting, their cameras raised. Fan girls were screaming so loudly, it made her want to cover her ears.

But she didn't.

Instead, she stepped in between Nate and Shane and felt both of them draw their arms around her.

Shane's arm fell around her waist while Nate's was more around her back. Jason and Hayley were at Nate's side, arms around each other.

They were constantly moving, some people wanted just pictures of the boys. Some wanted ones of Mitchie with the boys, and then it was time for Jason and Hayley to have their pictures taken together.

"Can we get a picture of you three?" A woman asked. Shane, Nate and Mitchie looked at each other before getting back into formation.

"How about a sibling picture?" Someone else called out.

The two laughed before she left the two boys and went to stand next to her brother. Jason slipped an arm around her waist, her hand rested on his shoulder. "You really look beautiful, Mitch. Mom and dad would be so proud."

* * *

Nate kept his hold on her hand, refusing to let go for anything.

Dragging her feet wouldn't have helped, since she was in heels.

She _hated_ dancing.

And yet, when Nate offered, her brother had all but pushed her out onto the floor himself. Shane was off mingling, so he couldn't help her.

"_Nate_!" She whined again. "_Please_ don't make me do this."

He ignored her, pulling her further through the after party crowd. When they reached the middle of the dance floor, Nate finally released her hand only to take it again.

His hand rested on her waist while she placed her free one on his shoulder.

There was a child like gleam in his eyes as he began to twirl her around the room, making her laugh in the process. Other girls watched her, jealous of the attention that Nate Black was giving her.

The only thing that would have been worse, was if it would have been Shane Gray dancing with Jason's little sister. At least to them, the fan girls, anyway.

Speaking of the devil, Shane crossed the room and tapped both of them on the shoulder.

"Nate. That girl has literally been _begging_ for me to get you to dance with her. Will you? I'm kind of afraid that she'll follow us home."

Mitchie giggled, but even she knew that it had happened in the past.

"Yeah, sure." Nate shrugged, leaning in to kiss the brunet on the cheek before heading off in search of the semi-crazed fan girl.

At least she was cute, and if he danced with her it would give her something to blog about for weeks.

They watched him go, before she turned to go back to their table. Jason and Hayley were dancing, but she figured they would be back soon.

"Hey, mini-Jason. Where do you think you're going?" Shane demanded suddenly. He grabbed her arm, spinning her back around before he dipped her. "I do believe that it's _my_ turn to dance with the most beautiful girl at this whole damn place."

That comment made her blush, just like he knew it would. That was exactly why he said it, he had this sudden fascination with making her blush. She was so cute when she did it.

Shane Gray felt an eternal connection to Mitchie, that he couldn't deny.

It was also something he could never admit to Jason. Mitchie wrapped her arms around his neck as the music began to play.

They looked up at each other, smiling simultaneously. Jason, watching from across the room, frowned.

As cute as he thought Mitchie's crush on his best friend was; the way his best friend was looking at his sister was not so cute to him.


	17. Happy Birthday Shane! (And Mitchie!)

"Nate." Jason glanced down at them over the railing. Shane, Nate and Mitchie were watching some fake, gory movie that he wanted no part of.

"Nate." He said again. "Yeah?"

The fifteen year old finally tore his eyes away from the screen. Jason made a gesture for him to come upstairs. "I'll be back, guys."

"Mitch." Jason called. "Are you sure you should be watching that? Remember when-"

"_Don't_ need to go into that, Jase." Mitchie replied distractedly. She waved him off before burying her face into Shane's shoulder. "God this movie is scary."

He looked down at her, amused. "It's not _that_ bad, Mitch. But don't worry, I'll protect you."

* * *

Nate found Jason sitting at the desk in their music room. He closed the door, figuring that he wouldn't want their conversation to be overheard.

"What's up, Jase?"

"It's Shane's birthday next week,"

"Oh, right! So...?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's _Mitchie's_ birthday too. About five days after. And I completely _forgot_,"

"You've had a pretty hectic month, Jason." Nate reminded him. Taking on a fifteen year old girl when you already had a large career would even make the smartest man forget some important dates. "It just slipped your mind."

Jason nodded, his friend's words made him feel a little better. He hadn't meant to forget.

"So here's what I'm thinking. We throw a semi-double party, you know, invite Shane's friends and family but have a cake for both of them, or something? And then on the 20th, we could have a more private party for Mitch. You know, just us and maybe Hayley."

"Sounds good to me. I'll call everyone tomorrow. Are we making this a surprise party?"

"Yeah," He began to make a list of things they would need. "Why not? Shane's always liked surprises when they're all about him."

The two boys snickered.

"I need to find Mitchie some friends...Not that you guys aren't great, but..."

Nate laughed. "I get it. You want her to have a friend that's a girl, who's actually her age. That can't be very hard to do."

"Isn't Shane's cousin, Caitlyn like fifteen?"

"Yeah." Nate blinked, surprised. He hadn't seen Caitlyn Gellar in forever, but now he wanted to.

* * *

"_God_!" Shane was being a drama queen. "Why do we have to go to a stupid event on _my_ _birthday_?!"

"God damn, pop star." Mitchie soothed. They were sitting in the back together, Nate was practicing for his road test. "Not everything in this world is about _you_."

"In my world it is." He grumbled, earning him a slap from all three of them.

"Ouch!"

"Alright, we're here." Jason told them. He got out, reaching over to open his sister's door. Mitchie never ceased to amaze him. This time, she was in a dark red dress, and her hair was pulled out of her face in a tight pony tail. Her makeup was light, just barely there except for a dark red, thrilling lip stick.

And now, she smiled at him and linked her arm through his, letting him lead the way. Nate opened the door.

"Why are all the lights off?" Shane demanded. He followed behind them. Nate suddenly pushed Mitchie into him.

"What the hell?!" They said in unison. He reached out to steady her.

"_Surprise_!" His friends and family yelled as Jason flipped on the light. "_Happy Birthday Shane and Mitchie_!"

The pair looked at each other before cracking up. Shane went to hug his mom and dad while Mitchie hugged Nate and Jason.

"My birthday isn't for another five days," She whispered in her brother's ear. "But thank you, Jasey. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you,"

"Jase, Nate!" Shane hugged his band mates. "This is _great_! Thank you!"

Then, the now eighteen year old turned to the still fifteen year old. He slipped his arm around her shoulder, a small smile appearing on his face when she took his hand. "Come on, semi-birthday twin. Let's go mingle."

"Easy Jase," Nate rested a hand on his shoulder, guessing his thoughts. "Relax. They're just friends,"

"Right," Jason nodded, he grinned at one of their friend as she passed by. But he didn't believe a word he had said.

* * *

"Hi," Shane greeted later. He had seen a lot of people he knew, and he had been dragged away to get stuck in conversation to conversation. She had _no_ idea where Nate and Jason were.

"Mitch." He called her back to reality. "Hey, I want you to meet someone."

It was then that Mitchie noticed that his arm was around a slim, slightly blonde girl with wild, curly hair. She was wearing a bright dress that many people couldn't ever pull off, but on her, it worked.

"Mitchie, this is my cousin, Caitlyn." Shane squeezed the girl's shoulder. "Caitlyn, this is Jason's sister and my friend, Mitchie. I was hoping you two could hang out since you're the same age, and you're both pains in my ass."

Caitlyn went to elbow him while Mitchie punched him. They did it simultaneously, grinning at each other when they realized that they had a lot in common.

"Alright. I'll leave you two alone to talk,"

They watched him leave before Caitlyn turned to her.

"Hey,"

"Hi,"

"It's really nice to meet you. Shane's told me a lot about you."

Mitchie smiled. "Are you guys close?"

She returned that smile. "Yeah. Really close. My parents were always working, so I would stay with Shane and his parents during the summer."

They continued talking, finding shared interests after almost every part of the conversation.

"Hey, Gellar." Nate greeted, he elbowed her on his way to stand next to Mitchie. "You're still not in juvie, huh?"

"Look what the cat dragged in," Caitlyn responded.

To Mitchie's surprise, the two teens began to laugh before he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I missed you, Cait. Where have you been lately?"

"Around." She told him, slipping an arm around his shoulder. "Traveling with my parents for most of the summer. They didn't want to miss Shane's party, but duty calls. Anyway, I'm here and that's good enough."

"Yeah it is," He muttered under his breath. Neither one of the girls heard him say it. "So, do either one of you wanna dance? Cait? Mitch?"

"Go ahead," Mitchie pushed the curly haired boy to the curly haired girl. She could already sense the attraction between the two. "I'll be fine,"

"You sure?" He asked, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek as well. "Well, Jason and Shane are around here somewhere, Mitch. And you know where to find us if anything happens,"

She gave Nate another shove.

"Go, go, go. You worry too much,"

He took Caitlyn by the hand and led her out to the dance floor. Mitchie was alone for all of five seconds before someone knocked into her.

Arms frantically wrapped around her to keep her from falling.

"Oh _shit_!" It was a guy, she realized, and he was still holding onto her. "I am so sorry. Are you okay? I didn't even see you,"

"I'm _fine_," She had been hanging out with Shane too much, the way her tone sounded. She softened her voice. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. No harm, no foul."

The guy seemed to realize that she was indeed back on her feet, and he released her, reaching out to shake her hand instead. "Well I'm really glad you're okay. I'm Drew, by the way."

"Hey, Drew. I'm-"

"_Mitchie_," Drew blushed. "I know. Happy birthday,"

That made her laugh.

"It's actually _Shane's_ birthday." Mitchie explained, she laughed again. "Mine's in about five days, but since I just moved here, I don't really have any friends besides my brother and his band mates. So the guys got me a cake."

"Oh, well. Happy _almost_ birthday, then." They stood there together, awkwardly watching couples dance, laugh and kiss. He cleared his throat before offering her his hand. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Well, I'm only fifteen, so..."

He laughed. "Of course, of course. How about a coke, then?"

"A coke would be great," Mitchie followed him to the bar, unaware of the approaching, shaggy haired rock star.

"Who let _you_ in?" Shane demanded. He cut the pair off before the bartender could even ask what they wanted. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Relax, pop star. I'm not gonna get _near_ your cousin again." Drew promised, his tone was cocky. "You made that pretty clear to me the last time."

"Well now you need to get the hell away from my friend," He hissed. He was ready to cause a scene, and he didn't care who saw him do it.

"Shane..." Mitchie started, but he held his hand up to cut her off.

"Shut up, Mitch." Shane warned, though his gesture had already made her be quite. "Seriously. Leave. _Now_."

Nate, Jason and Caitlyn were nearing them now, trying to understand what was going on. When Caitlyn saw him standing with her new friend, she paled.

"Nate." Shane grabbed the brunet's arm without breaking his stride towards his cousin's enemy. "Get them out of here,"

He shoved Mitchie into him. Both Nate and Mitchie wrapped their arms around the curly haired girl and half carried her away.

"Cait." Nate muttered. He hugged her. "Shh, Cait. He's not gonna hurt you again, okay? It's alright."

"What happened?" Mitchie looked up in time to see her brother raise his arm and punch Drew in the face. She wanted to know what was wrong, but Caitlyn grabbed her arm and made her stay.


	18. Aftermath: Best Friends Forever

"What the _hell_ did you do?" She demanded. It was early the next morning, and they just watched the latest report on HotTunes.

_'Did Jason Green really get into a fight at his best friend's birthday party?'_

"Use that word again and you'll be grounded." Jason warned. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Is Caitlyn still asleep?"

"Yeah. I made sure not to wake her up,"

The two girls had shared Mitchie's bed the night before, after Shane told his parents that Caitlyn could stay with them for the weekend until her parents returned home.

"Okay, Mitch. I'll tell you,"

He grabbed her arm and made her sit beside him again. "About a year ago, Shane found out that Andrew, or Drew, as he introduced himself to you last night, had hit Caitlyn. After he beat him up, and she broke up with him, Shane got a warning from the police. He couldn't punch him, so I did."

Mitchie smacked him. "Jase! As _sweet_ at that was, you could get yourself in trouble!"

And to her surprise, he began to laugh. "Not a chance. God, you worry too much, Mitchie."

This time, his little sister paled.

"You threatened him." She muttered, remembering so many times before when he had protected her from some of his friends. "Jason...You're not _that_ person anymore."

"I know." Jason's laughter stopped abruptly. He began to pace. "I know, but seeing Caitlyn like that last night...Reminded me of how you used to look when my friends hit on you. I promise, I won't do it again unless one of you is in trouble. Especially you, though."

* * *

Jason had agreed to let Mitchie be in the car with Shane. They were driving Caitlyn home, and Shane thought it might have been easier if another girl was along for the ride.

They had had to beg him for a little more time before he took her back to her parents, so Shane reluctantly agreed and dropped them off at the mall.

He was there too, of course, but they split up so the girls could get more..._girly_ things.

"You should get that," Caitlyn teased. She pointed to a very, very revealing outfit in the window of Victoria Secret.

"Jason would _murder_ me." Mitchie bumped her shoulder. "How about _you_ try it on?"

"My parents, _and_ my cousin would kill me...Most likely in my sleep." The girls laughed, and the straight haired brunet found herself feeling as if she had known Caitlyn her entire life.

When she told her this, the curly haired girl linked their hands and continued walking.

"I know, right?" Caitlyn grinned, pulling them into a book store. "I mean, I usually try to avoid hanging out with girls, but I can't help feeling that you and I are gonna be best friends,"


	19. Happy Birthday Mitchie! (Shay&Big News?)

"_Shane_." She whined. He had both of her hands in his, and once again, she was in heels. "Shane! This is ridiculous! I thought we were all just going to hang out at home!"

He had pretty much kidnapped her, with the way barged into the room, grabbing her around the waist so he could blindfold her with one of Jason's tacky ties.

"Where's the fun in that, Mitch," He asked. His arms were around her once again so he could lift her into his Friska Karma.

"I hate _all_ of you!"

It was her birthday, and so far, the boys had barely acknowledged that piece of information. Jason had woken her up for a birthday cupcake with a candle, but that was it.

And then, that afternoon, she had found another garment bag, courtesy of Joan, laying on her bed.

This time, the dress was purple, black lace at the bottom. She had put it on, adding a short, silver necklace and a pair of hoop earings. They were up to something, she'd realized, and she decided that she needed to be ready for it.

Even after he had buckled her seat belt, she reached over to try and undo her blind fold, but a hand smacked hers.

"Ouch!"

No one apologized, and she wondered if they weren't alone in the car. When she mentioned this to Shane, he laughed and asked her how she expected to be able to fit Nate and Jason, let alone Caitlyn in his small backseat.

And yet, when Mitchie tried to take the blindfold off again, her hand stung from another slap.

"Damn it, Shane! Where the hell are we going?"

"Again. Where is the fun in telling you?" Shane asked. The car stopped and he got out. "Stay put, and I'll come out to help you."

He did, taking hold of her hands again.

_"Happy Birthday Mitchie!"_ Five voices chorused.

The blindfold slid off, thanks to Nate. Mitchie turned in a slow circle.

They had a private room, lit in candles with soft music playing. It was the perfect night, with the five most important people in her life.

"Thank you!"

Jason laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Happy birthday, munchkin. I can't believe you're sixteen."

She kept her arms around his waist, her head pressed up against his chest. "I wish mom and dad were here, Jason."

"They are, Mitch. They're watching over you every second of every day,"

* * *

"So what's the big news?"

Shane, Jason and Nate had called the girls out of Mitchie's room, where they had been helping her pack. Now, they sat on the couch, their arms folded as they wondered why the three looked so excited.

"Seriously, Jason. If you don't tell us within the next _ten_ seconds, we're going back up stairs." Hayley warned. She had been spending more and more time at the house, and it made Mitchie wonder when Jason was going to grow a pair and ask her to go out with him.

Mitchie got up and grabbed onto her brother's arm. "Pwease tell us, Jasey?"

Shane and Nate rolled their eyes at their friend's inability to resist his little sister. He sighed, gave her a light shove and began. "Fox wants to do a mini-series about our life on tour."

The two girls shared a look before gigantic grins appeared on their faces simultaneously. "Jason! Nate, Shane! That's great!"

He stepped forward and lifted the young girl into the air, spinning her around. "And of course, my beautiful baby sister will be in every single episode,"

Mitchie laughed nervously. "Ugh..."

"Aww, look who's camera shy."

"Shut up. Shay." She warned. For some reason, only known to him, Jason had swung her onto his back.

Now, the eighteen year old looked at her strangely before pronouncing the name she had just given him carefully.

"_Shay_?"

"Well, yeah. I'm _Mitch_, Jason is either _Jase_ or _Jasey_, Nate is _Natie_, so you need a nickname too. And Shane is not an easy name to find one for, so you should be thankful you have one at all."

Jason rolled his eyes at his little sister's reasoning. Mitchie had the same, goofball nature that he did. It only came when they wanted it to, but to their friends, it was always entertaining.

"Alright, fine." Shane sighed, he couldn't say no to her for some very strange reason. "You can call me _Shay_."

Beaming, she and Hayley retreated upstairs to go finish packing.

"So, _Shay_." Jason mimicked. "Have you started packing yet, _Shay_? Cause you know, we leave in a few days, _Shay_."

Nate joined in on the joke. "_Shay_, don't forget that we have to do the check list for the mini-series. And remember, you have to be on your best behavior, _Shay_!"

The boys cracked up, shoving each other.

Their fun was short lived when the raven haired boy punched both of them, a hit that would leave their arms bruised.

"Like I said before. Only _Mitchie_ gets to call me that."


	20. Living The Dream: To Do List

_"Connect 3 is about to go on our first world tour, and we're totally psyched. But before we take off, we have a major to do list. First up is a photo shoot to promote our tour."_

Jason had dragged Mitchie along, because the magazine interview and photo shoot they were doing wanted to feature her as well. She wanted to stay out of the lime light.

"Alright, right there." The photographer called. Shane stood with his arm on Jason's shoulder.

Nate jumped into the air with a guitar in his arms.

_"That's Mitchie Torres, Jason's little sister. She's a super cool friend and a great singer too."_

Jason held Mitchie over his shoulder before dropping her down and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. In return, she slipped her arms around his waist and smiled at the camera.

Shane stood with his arm around her, his hand gripping at the stair railing. Jason and Nate were beside them, their guitars present.

"What's it like to constantly be with Connect 3?"

"Oh, they're hilarious. They're awesome, they're like my brothers. They're complete gentlemen, and professional. Yeah, they're cool."

Shane poked her cheek, making her laugh as she stood next to him again. "So, you from around her?"

"No," Mitchie told him. She looked up and smiled as he scoffed.

"Oh."

* * *

_"Now that that's checked off the list, it's time to meet with our awesome wardrobe stylist, Joan. She's going to help us finalize our looks for tour. It's kind of like shopping for school clothes. Only better_."

"These are Nate's size?" Shane teased, holding up a rather large pair on tennis shoes.

It was Nate's turn to sit in front of the camera while the others got their pictures taken.

"So we're getting all of our wardrobe set up and ready to go. I'm a little nervous, but um, excited at the same time. You know, it's our first big real headlining tour, and it's gonna be fun."

Jason began to dance, sending his sister into hysterics.

"Mitchie, calm down! You're going to get..." He sighed as she got exactly what he feared. "Hiccups. Mitch! Get back here! Drink some water!"

"Jason," Joan called him back. "Show them how cool these clothes are."

He sighed and gave up on catching his sister. "All of our clothes are made to be ripped away. Cause we have to change in like two seconds. Lickty split,"

"I love all the outfits," Shane was in a great mood, and had been ever since the cameras started rolling. "Joan always gives us the best stuff. Every time I see it, I'm like perfect!"

* * *

_"Next on the to do list. You can't leave for a rock n roll tour without picking up an awesome pair of sneakers."_

They walked into the designer store. Mitchie laughed as their eyes lit up; she found herself wishing Caitlyn or Hayley, or both of them were there. But for now, she was on her own.

"There are really cool," Jason pointed out. "Shane. Look! These are the shoes that you wore on the last tour."

"I have these," The eighteen year old began to show off every pair of shoes he owned, his extensive shoe collection was no secret. "I have these, and I have these..."

To make everyone laugh, the crew included, Shane began to twirl a shoe, much like he would twirl his mic before going on.

"Ouch!" Mitchie hissed as he lost control. The sneaker bounced off her arm and Jason shot his best friend a warning look.

"Sneakers are hard for me, because I wear a lot of dressy, like dressy patten leather shoes. So I wanna find a sneaker like...Ohh! Or maybe these," Jason became distracted and walked away from the camera.

"Hey guys! How about instead of talking about shoes, you actually buy some shoes!"

"Those would be awesome for tour, dude."

"These would be great for tour, huh?"

* * *

_"Our plane leaves in two hours, and we still haven't packed anything yet. Time to head home."_

They had a nice ride home without the cameras. Mitchie sat curled up next to her brother, she was so tired after all the excitement.

"This is a pretty big event for you, huh?" Shane asked. He began to rub her back. "You gonna get any sleep, Mitch?"

Jason laughed lightly and ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry. She sleeps really well on planes."

* * *

"Alright guys," Shane's dad, Adam Gray, called. He had come to help organize everything before they left. "We gotta go."

"Go where?" Jason joked. He had been busy talking to Oliver, and then he got a light shove towards the luggage.

"Pack up," Adam had always had a soft spot for Jason's random sense of humor.

"We bring a lot of stuff with us on tour," Nate showed the camera men the racks of clothing that now took up their spacious living room.

"It feels good when you know you're done packing," Jason walked out of his bedroom and down the stairs, dropping down on the couch next to his sister.

* * *

_"Just when we thought we could take a break, Adam threw a last minuet chore on the list. We have to listen to our parents like any other kid."_

"Shane, Jason, I need you guys to move something."

Shane and Jason began to carry the equipment out to the extra van, where it would be shipped to them later the next day.

As they finished, heading back inside, Shane threw his arm around the older boy's shoulder.

* * *

"Still not done," Nate warned the crew. He was trying to pack his sports stuff into his duffel bag and was failing greatly.

Eventually, they were all done with just forty five minutes before their flight. Nate was already outside, playing a last minute game of basketball.

"Off to tour," Jason announced. Mitchie was beside him, gripping his arm as he struggled to carry all of their luggage.

"First day, leaving for our 'When You Look Me In The Eyes' tour." He nudged his sister. "Anything you wanna say?"

"Hey guys!" She raised her arm tiredly. "It's gonna be great! Oh, and by the way. If Jason is ever late for a show, it's probably because he's too busy primping."

He rolled his eyes, shoving her towards the door. "...Thanks for that, Michelle Elizabeth."

"Who's always the last one out the door?" Shane joked as he followed them out.

"_You_."

"Alright! Tour! 2012! Let's go!" He suddenly realized his mistake and turned back around with a laugh. "Wait! 2013!"

* * *

_"Finally, the list is complete! Normally, we would just chill out, but this time it's different. We're about to head out on our first world tour."_

"Let's get this thing started!" Shane called. He grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, following Nate to get onto their private jet.

"Hayley," Jason greeted, waving at her. He reached out, grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. "Thanks for coming!"

"I wanted to say goodbye to the cutest guy I know," Hayley responded. "So, where's Nate?"

"_Funny_. Anyway, I know this might now be the right time to do this...But," He gripped her hands. "Will you be my girlfriend, Hayley Maria Anderson?"

Tears clouded her vision as she whispered a small yes before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him all over again.

"She said yes!" They heard Mitchie, the little ease dropped call, and they laughed.

"You just wait, Mitch." Jason gave her one last kiss before going after his sister, his intent to tickle her.

_"It's time for us to start living the dream!"_


	21. Living The Dream: The Big Game

_"We're about to begin our very first world tour, so the next couple of days are going to be crazy."_

Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts. 3:34 AM.

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres, I am _not _carrying you again," Jason warned, his voice was hoarse.

The two other members of Connect 3 watched with amused and tired grins as their friend gave in and lifted his sleeping sister into his arms. He swung her onto his back.

"Hey everybody." Shane said, his tone was short. He hated waking up, and having to be awake and moving around when he should have been asleep was like a walking nightmare. "So we are in Boston, Massachusetts. We just landed. And we're gonna go see the stage now,"

They arrived at the 'Middle East' within fifteen minutes. Nate had run into a Starbucks to get everyone coffee, and now Mitchie was wide awake, much to the annoyance of Shane. She was so perky in the morning.

"Whoa!" One of the boys called out as they walked in. The stage was completely lit up in colors, and it amazed them all.

Nate grabbed Mitchie's hand and yanked her along behind him, ahead of the group.

"This is sweet!"

_"This is the first time we've seen the stage and it is so cool! It's like our very own customized playground. Even Mitchie approves."_

The sixteen year old slid down the ramp, looking so much like her brother.

Shane, now in a better mood, grinned at the camera. "We have elevators on the stage that rise up at the beginning of the concert. It's a fun stage, and it's really cool."

"I'm very excited to get into rehearsal tomorrow and just...prepare for this awesome tour."

"Hey, Mitch. C'mere," Shane called. He grabbed her shoulders and held her as the elevator lowered.

She jumped and gripped his hands. "Aww, what's wrong? Is this not fun for you?"

"Jase!" Mitchie called.

He appeared at her side within seconds, wrapping his arms around her in mock protection. "Aww, Mitch. Want me to beat up the big, bad Hothead for you?"

He left his best friend to play with the elevator and walked away, dragging his sister along behind him. "So. Are you having fun so far, munchkin?"

"Yeah. Of course, you?"

"Defiantly," Jason agreed.

They were heading out, ready to go check into the hotel and sleep for a while before their rehearsals the next day.

"I'm really glad you're here, Mitch."

"Me too, Jasey."

* * *

It was still early, and cold. As they braced themselves for the harsh Boston wind, she reached out and slipped her hand into his.

"Good morning," Jason greeted as he and Nate held their hands out to help Mitchie out of the car.

_"Just like gearing up for the big game, today is all about practice, practice, and a lot more practice."_

"_There she goes again_," Nate sang softly, he didn't want to lose his voice. "_The girl I'm in love with_."

_"For Nate, things didn't get off to a good start,"_

"I wasn't feeling it." The curly haired fifteen year old explained. "There were problems with my guitar, and all these things just went wrong."

_"And even though I love our new ramps, sliding down them is just not that easy."_

Joan had tried to make the shoes slippery , but it did little to help. He groaned in frustration.

_"We work really hard to give our friends something more than a typical rock show."_

As Jason and Nate strummed their guitars, Shane did a cartwheel off of one platform down to another.

They all had their little tricks, thanks to their personal trainers. Shane grabbed Nate's hand and helped him jump over his shoulder. Jason flipped and made his sister laugh. Jason grabbed Shane's hand and held on as he jumped over his best friend's shoulder.

He landed on a mat that led to the trap door and fell through, cheering all the way down. "Yeah!"

"They tested the trap door today, and having Shane fall through...He was like...Ahh!"

The eighteen year old rolled his eyes at his friend's explanation of what had just happened. "Everyone calls me danger because I tend to fall a lot...I'm really _good_ at it."

Mitchie looked worried.

"It's not actually as high as you think it is," Shane promised her. "You're falling to a pad."

"Yeah, like that's my only concern." She muttered sarcastically. "God, Shay. This time you're gonna be the one who ends up in the hospital with stitches, a bad sprain and a concussion."

"The concern has been voiced!"

_"Okay, let's review our day. Mitchie's nervous that Shane will live up to his nickname 'Danger.' I'm nervous that I'll take a big spill tomorrow night. And Nate's worried that we haven't rehearsed the songs enough. And tomorrow night is the most important night of our lives."_

"We're gonna go..." Shane grabbed Nate and threw him over his shoulder, carrying him away from his guitar. "Sleep."

"Cross your fingers," Jason begged to the fans. "We hope it goes good."

They left, ready to sleep for another twelve hours after the day they had had.

Nate and Mitchie sat in the back of the car, he shared his fears with her. "What if we aren't ready."

"You'll be _so_ good, Natie. You know you will,"

* * *

"Welcome! It's day one of 'When You Look Me In The Eyes' tour." Shane greeted. The boys were well rested and ready to rock their fan's world.

_"We are freaking out,"_ Nate told them, just as Jason said. _"We are really excited."_

"What time is it?" The lead singer asked.

_"Game time!"_

It was around 7:30 PM, half an hour to go. The boys stood in the shower room, where there were the best acoustics, and began to warm up.

"Mitch!' Jason called. He grabbed her arm and dragged her back to them. "Don't sit on the floor. It's nasty,"

Twenty minutes later, the entire band was standing together for their before-show prayer.

After it was said, they brought their hands in and wiggled their fingers together.

Jason pressed his lips to his sister's forehead. "Hey, um...Don't worry if you feel like you're going deaf, that's totally normal. I love you, baby sister."

"I love you too, big brother." Mitchie threw her arms around his neck.

He laughed and picked her up, twirling her around. "Alright, babe. I gotta go," He muttered, kissing her forehead again. He was handed his guitar before he went to take his place on the darkened stage.

"Shane," He was the next to pass her. He stopped and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug; it was then that she noticed that he was shaking. "Shay. Don't do this! You're gonna be great! The world doesn't stand a chance against you!"

"Thanks, Mitch." Shane whispered. He kissed her cheek before hugging her again. "I don't know what it is about the first show that gets me so nervous. I just want everything to be perfect, and I know it will be, but..."

Mitchie pressed her hand over his mouth, much like he had done to her in the past. "You'll be great, Shay. Now go and knock em' dead."

Nate was nervous, and she could tell. But instead of speaking, they wrapped their arms around each other and held on. Their growing friendship was a very rare, and very special one. The hug said all they needed to say.

"I love you, Natie."

"I love you too, Mitch."

* * *

"The opening night of this tour was _amazing_." Nate said later. "I think the coolest part is that it all came together. It was perfect."


	22. Living The Dream: Downtime

_"Being in a rock band doesn't leave us a lot of downtime. So we try to make as much fun as possible."_

"Hey, you've got something on your face." Shane warned Jason. As he went to look, he received a light slap while the others cracked up.

"We're teenagers, essentially." Jason explained. "We love to have fun."

The group laughed again as Shane began to warm up whilst doing a handstand. Mitchie gave Jason a look for allowing Shane to be on the floor when he had specifically told her to stay off of it.

_"We spend almost every second together. But sometimes, we have different ideas on how to spend our free time. For Nate, his idea of a good time is competition. Wherever he can find it,"_

"This tour wouldn't be the same without Wiffle ball." Nate announced. He grabbed Mitchie by the arm and dragged her off behind him.

Even though she was horrible at sports.

"Whenever it comes to sport, I usually dominate."

* * *

They were in Philadelphia now, and Jason had spent the last half an hour on his laptop doing research.

_"Jason, his perfect day off is a trip to the local guitar shop."_

Jason began to walk around the store in awe, while the remaining three sat down on the bench and waited. Mitchie rested her head on Nate's shoulder. "Does he _always_ do this?"

"_Every. Single. Time_."

It was when he picked up a banjo and began to strum it that she walked over and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ouch!" Jason gave her a light punch. "Do that again and I'll ground you, Michelle."

"Oh no!" Mitchie cowered in fear. "My brother will ground me in _Paris_! What's a poor girl to do?!"

"Watch it." He growled.

"Hey, Shane! Check this out." The two older boys began to strum guitars. "That sounds fantastic!"

"It's an electric mandolin." He tried to play it, he could play guitar, but unlike his two best friends, he was the weaker guitar player.

Jason, of course, played the instrument perfectly.

"Show off."

"I'm going to stick to something more fun."

Shane also earned a slap from the small brunet when he purchased a slide whistle.

_"And for me, it's all about unleashing my inner...nerd."_

Shane and Nate were standing in the hallway outside of their dressing room. Nate was begging his friend to please, _not,_ do this. He glanced down at his watch and gave an annoyed sigh.

"Everyday at 3:00, I tend to become a character."

The deadly handsome rock star buttoned his plaid checkered shirt all the way up to his neck.

"Like that. Hey guys!" He said in a nasally voice, sounding suspiciously like Steve Urkel. "How's it going?"

The three boys walked back to the dressing rooms with the nerd standing in the middle. "I'm allergic to flowers. I'm allergic to ocean water. And dental floss." He took a deep breath. "I'm also allergic to...air."

To keep them laughing, he staggered backwards and pretended to pass out.

"Hey! A couple of ladies are coming our way, Nate!" Shane noticed that beautiful, chocolate eyed brunet walking down the hallway in search of her brother. "Hey lady!"

Mitchie stopped and bit her lip to keep from laughing.

He didn't do this, ever. And to see him being so goofy was so refreshing.

"I've got my library card. I'm checking you out,"

That did it. She couldn't keep a straight face as she tried to find a worthy response.

"Wow. You must be an _angel_, cause you've fallen from heaven."

"That's right, babe!"

She tripped, due to a combination of not looking where she was going and because she was laughing so hard.

Nate offered his friend a high five, which he purposely missed in order to bang his nose on the door, all the while making Mitchie laugh. "Way to go Shane! Way to go!"

"It totally changes." Shane told them as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Right away. It's crazy."

_"But once in a while, we find a cool activity that we all get pumped up for! Time for some family fun time. Connect 3 style."_

* * *

"I'm not so sure about this."

Nate grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the limo. "_This_ is what you're scared of? Really?"

"_Yes_!"

"Mitch. This is as close as Jason will ever let you get to this, so I suggest you try to do it."

He sighed. It had been his idea in the first place.

Indoor _Skydiving._

"He is right, you know," Jason warned her. "You are _never_ going skydiving for real. Not even if you're _thirty_."

Shane pointed to a preview on the TV hanging on the wall. "Look at that. That's crazy!"

_"And we're bringing little sister Mitchie with us to see if she can keep up."_

"I want you to all to stand up with me for a second," Their instructor said. They were quick to follow his directions. "We're going to work on body position, so just follow me. Now, you want your body to feel symmetrical. How do you feel?"

"Good. Awesome," The group responded.

"Alright, you look ridiculous. Sit down,"

_"Since we love trying on new things, this activity should do the trick."_

Nate had Mitchie, the little wimp, around the waist. She wasn't going anywhere besides into the air chamber. "Natie!"

"No buts, Michelle."

"Jase? Shane?"

"Sorry. Did you say something, Mitch?"

Their instructor, Toby, helped them out a lot. He threw Jason into the air first, letting him almost his the ceiling before he brought him back down.

Nate and Shane went up together, gripping each others hands to stay level.

"Our instructor was a little bit of a showoff because he could totally do spiderman tricks."

Toby was showing off a little bit, not that any of them were complaining.

Jason looked at the camera and shook his head. "We tried to do it, but..."

But they failed, Nate could barely do a flip without help from the instructor. Shane ended up floating on his back until he was pulled back down.

"Mitchie was actually so good," Shane told the crew, as if he were hiding a inside joke. "She was like lying on her back and doing all these tricks, and I was so _jealous_. I was like..._whatever_. I can do that."

When it came to Mitchie, Toby had been very delicate. The boys...not so much.

Jason had all but shoved his baby sister out into the middle of the chamber.

"It was the coolest thing we've done in a long time."

"That got me really pumped for a rock n roll show tonight!" Jason called, he earned high fives from the other two boys.

* * *

"Good luck you guys." Mitchie blushed. "I mean, break a leg...Cause it's back luck to say good luck, right? Oh god. Did I just jinx you guys? I did! I am so-"

"Mitchie!" Three pairs of hands covered her mouth. "Shh. We get it."

She laughed and they each kissed her on the cheek before running onstage.

Mitchie remembered to plug her ears.

"How's everyone doing tonight?!" Shane asked the crowd. The screams grew.

_"Whether on stage, or floating on air, we try to make every moment count. Maybe next time we'll jump out of a real plane! That's if our parents will let us."_

_We don't have time left to regret, hold on_  
_And well take more than common sense, hold on_  
_So stop your wondering, take a stand, hold on_  
_'Cause there's more to life than just to live, hold on_

_'Cause an empty room can be so loud_  
_There's too many tears to drown them out_  
_So hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on_

_One single smile, a helping hand, hold on_  
_Its not that hard to be a friend, hold on_  
_So don't give up, stand 'til the end, hold on_  
_'Cause there's more to life than just to live, hold on_

_'Cause an empty room can be so loud_  
_Theres too many tears to drown them out_  
_So hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on_

_When you love someone and they break your heart_  
_Don't give up on love, have faith, restart_  
_Just hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on_

_When it falls apart and you're feeling lost_  
_All your hope is gone, don't forget to hold on_  
_Hold on!_

_'Cause an empty room can be so loud_  
_Theres too many tears to drown them out_  
_So hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on_

_When you love someone and they break your heart_  
_Don't give up on love, have faith, restart_  
_Just hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on_

_'Cause an empty room can be so loud_  
_Theres too many tears to drown them out_  
_So hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on_

_When you love someone and they break your heart_  
_Don't give up on love, have faith, restart_  
_Just hold on_

_Hold on_  
_Hold on_  
_Hold on_

* * *

**Song: Hold On-Jonas Brothers :)**


	23. Tour of the Tour Bus

"Alright," Shane clapped his hands together while they waited for Jason to check them out of the hotel. "First night on the tour bus!"

Nate and Mitchie shared a look. For six thirty in the morning, he was in an unusually good mood and it made them wonder what the hell he was on.

"Alright, guys." Jason came back into view, he gripped the handle of his suitcase. "You ready to go?"

"No." Mitchie's moods in the morning lately; she had been trying to get used to their sleep schedule, her moods had been up and down.

"I'm going to start calling you Hothead junior," Nate warned. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon, Mitch."

There was a bus waiting in the parking lot. Even in the dim light, they could make out the words Connect 3 written on both sides.

Shane grinned and laced his fingers through Mitchie's, only to begin running to get on the bus before anyone else could get on.

Jason and Nate shared a look. "Have you noticed how Shane's been in an unusually good mood lately?" Jason asked. He raised an eye brow at the retreating figures.

Nate nodded in agreement. "Ever since Mitchie came to live with us,"

* * *

Mitchie was suddenly awake as Shane pulled her onto the bus. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen, and after years of having to ride the school bus, this was definitely better.

"_Wow_."

"I know, _right_?"

The two remaining members of Connect 3 stepped on and her brother slipped his arm around her shoulder. "And this is just our recording bus."

"_Just_?!"

"Mitch," Nate shook his head. "What have I told you? You gotta get used to this, cause this is _your_ life now."

"Hey guys!" Jason greeted yet another camera crew. This time for some magazine, she had stopped trying to remember the name of each and every one.

"Hey, _Extra_, how you doing? We're Connect 3, and we're here to show you our awesome tour bus that we're recording our new record in. Come on,"

"Follow us." Jason took charge on the interview. "So, to the left, we have a jut box,"

Shane patted the glowing piece of equipment. "And it doesn't have any music in it right now, because we haven't finished the record."

"I don't really have any CD's anymore," Nate shrugged. "I don't really know anyone who does."

Shane wrapped his arm around Mitchie. "And if this is blowing your mind, don't worry. You're not alone. Mitchie hasn't said a sentence with more than one word since she got on."

"So the way this bus was made, they made it for us so we could roll. So all guitars are able to be strapped in and locked while we're on the move."

The guitar wasn't fully locked; the two boys eyed the middle band member carefully. "Guess who hooked that one up."

"All the amps are built into the wall so we can just plug it in, crank it and rock," Jason turned the volume, sending a loud, high pitched sound through the walls of the bus. The three shielded their ears and shot him the same look. "Whoops! Sorry."

"This is our producer, Jack Fields. He is the man behind the curtain. He produced our last record and he's producing this one as well. He's been making tracks all day."

"Play them something, Jack." Shane begged. He couldn't resist giving the fans a little teaser.

"We're good. We're playing some vibes right now," Jack told them. He hit a button on his laptop and a beat began to play. They were allowed only twenty seconds of it.

"Brand new song." The three informed the camera. "That's all you get. You'll hear that in, six months!"

"So this is the tour bus," Shane got them back on track. He pointed to a wall covered with a curtain.

"These are bunks. So two people actually sleep here. We don't sleep here, because we have another bus where we sleep. But Jack Fields likes to sleep in here, sometimes he'll take a little power nap. Back here, we have a drum set. And here's a shower."

Mitchie was finally coming out of her initial shock. "Cause you know, with a lot of guys on the bus, after a while, it starts to stink."

"Oh really?" Jason raised an eye brow before launching himself at her. He had her in a headlock in less than three seconds. He covered her mouth with his arm before turning her face into his shoulder.

"Mph!"

"So now that we've seen this tour bus, how about we go to see the one where we'll be living for the next year or so," Nate drew the focus away from the feuding pair and led the way off the bus.

Jason grabbed Mitchie and carried her under his arm.

* * *

"So." Shane told the camera as he walked up the steps to the second arriving bus. It was slightly larger, Nate followed along behind him.

"So this looks really close together," He laughed, because the space was very tight and hard to have more than one person walk through at a time.

The bus had nice, polished wooden floors. There was a long, white leather couch on the right wall, with a matching bench seat and a table to eat at. Two leather chairs that spun were against the left wall; there was a big screen TV sitting on the counter, and a mini kitchen. Further back, there were six of the same curtain-like material.

"These are bunks," Jason told them. "Like really nice bunks. They're sort of deluxe,"

Nate pulled back one of the curtains and gave them an up close and personal look. It looked like a normal bed, with a built in pillow and comfy looking.

"So you can turn this down," The twenty one year grabbed the TV screen and showed them how turned down. "We have it programmed so that we can each watch something separately. And we have an IPod adapter so you can rock out,"

* * *

After the camera crew left, Jason and Mitchie began to bicker once again.

"Do you remember what happened that one summer at the lake when I let you have the top bunk?!"

"_One_ broken arm does not mean-"

"_Two_! You broke _both_ of your arms, Mitch! I had to take care of you for two months!"

"Oh please," Mitchie threw her backpack up onto the top bunk only to have her brother throw it onto the lower one. They repeated this several times. "You always lived to take care of me."

"Truths," Jason sighed. He hated it when she was right. "But if you fall in the middle of the night, don't come crying to me."

"Trust me. I won't."

"Well good. It's settled then,"

Nate clapped his hands together. "I have to admit...It's really fun watching you two argue."

"It really is," Shane agreed. Jason had always worn a mask in public, being goofy and making people believe that he wasn't very intelligent.

But ever since his sister had come to stay, he was acting more and more like himself.

Even with the movies, and TV shows and Connect 3's personal game station, the sixteen year old grew bored.

Finally, much to Shane's happiness, they decided to turn in because of their concert the next day.

Jason watched his sister carefully as she climbed into the top bunk and fell fast asleep.

It was almost 1:00 AM when the bus hit a bump and the sixteen year old tumbled out of her bunk, landing with a loud thud on the floor.

"Alright," Mitchie told Jason as he knelt down beside her. He cradled her head on his lap and felt for any broken bones.

None, thank goodness.

"You win. You can have the top bunk."

"I like it when I win."


	24. Living The Dream: Drivers Ed

"Mitch, walk on your _tiptoes_!"

"How about you stop _whispering_?! You'll _wake him up_!"

Jason sighed, he ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. "How about you _both shut up_."

Mitchie had made a cake, which was not easy with the bus's tiny stove, and now Shane was carrying it so she couldn't drop it.

"_One...Two...Three! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Nate (Natie!) Happy birthday to you!"_

"_Are you one?!"_ Mitchie began, before Shane clamped his hand over her mouth.

"We're _not_ doing that, Mitch."

Nate sat up and rubbed his eyes before a grin spread across his face. "Thanks, guys!"

Mitchie sat down and jostled the bed.

He rolled his eyes. "And even though I'm younger than you..."

"You still act like a forty year old man?"

"Alright," Jason wrapped his arms around the girl and carried her into the 'living room'. He dropped her on the couch before sitting on her back.

"There. Now shut up and let Nate enjoy his birthday."

* * *

_"Even though we're in a rock band and we have thousands of screaming fans, we're just like any other teenagers...Except for one thing. I'm sixteen years old now, and I don't have my drivers license."_

"I want to get my license." Nate announced to his friends.

Shane and Jason shared a look before beginning to laugh.

"Yeah." Shane offered his young friend a hand. "Good luck with that, man."

_"Shane and Jason might not be very supportive, but that's why I have Mitchie."_

"You'll do _great_." She promised. They sat side by side, their shoulders pressed together. "Really. Those other drivers don't stand a chance."

Shane let out a long laugh. "Don't give him too much credit, Mitch. You have no idea how many times he tried to get his permit."

_"I'm psyched that Jason, Shane and Mitchie are here for moral support...Well, mostly Mitchie."_

"I want him to get his license," Jason told them. "So I don't have to drive him around anymore."

Nate once again shook hands with his band mates, leaning in to kiss the brunette on the cheek.

"Good luck Natie." Mitchie breathed. "Rock it!"

He winked at her before climbing into the rental car; Nate's dad had agreed to let Oliver be his 'guardian' in the car along with the guy from the DMV.

"This is how it works," Shane told the camera men. "Nate gets the car, we get to stand out here and freeze."

Mitchie whacked him on the back of the head, her brother began to laugh. The look he received had him changing his facial expression.

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres," Jason said with a warning tone. "_Apologize_."

She hung her head and muttered an apology.

When Shane turned back around, Jason gave her a high five. They grinned at each other; she was learning how to put up with The Hothead.

* * *

Inside the car, Nate was a nervous wreck.

"Are you ready?" His instaurator, a younger woman asked. She was being gentle as she explained the point system, maybe guessing how nervous he actually was.

"You'll be fine, Nate." Oliver encouraged from the backseat.

He let out a long sigh and nodded; he had already passed the parking lot tests with flying colors, now was the street portion.

"Ready."

He pulled out into traffic.

* * *

"Well?!"

Mitchie was at his side as soon as he opened the car door. He glanced over at the others before holding out his test.

"I passed!"

She squealed and threw her arms around him, his grin grew and he picked her up, twirling her around,

"Five bucks," Jason said to Shane, who grudgingly handed it over. "Congrats, man!"

"Oh no..." Shane and Nate said together, their voices filled with dread.

"Group hug!" The oldest band member declared, grabbing the others and pulling them into his embrace.

"_Jason_..."

"Hey. Let's go get my picture taken, huh?"

Nate grabbed her, lifting her to sit on his shoulders as they headed inside.

"I can't _believe_ he passed."

* * *

_"My friends might not think I'm a good driver, but I'm going to redeem myself today: gocart style!"_

"We are excited," Jason told them. "Competition starts right now."

Mitchie scampered to keep up with them, she wondered how, exactly, did she get dragged along to do these kinds of things.

"I've never won," Nate admitted.

"Dude. You could barely pass your driving test."

"I passed it with gold!"

_"There's nothing like blue jumpsuits, safety helmets and a little friendly competition to prove to my friends that I'm worthy of my drivers license,"_

"I'm ready to rock n roll!"

"Oh, it's on." Nate warned, he ran a hand through his hair and grinned at Mitchie.

She simply gave the camera a thumbs up, too nervous to speak. Why did they make her do this?

_"Four racers, one champion. Who will emerge victorious from the Connect five hundred?"_

_"Seatbelt time!"_

_"And they're off!"_

_"Nate takes the early lead down the first straightaway. Shane really wants this race! Oh my, Mitchie is out of the race!"_

"I told you I would lose!" Mitchie called after them as someone tried to help her. She knew they could hear her.

"Looks like Nate's been sidelined."

"Damn it, Mitch! Your bad luck is contagious!"

"This isn't a sport!" She told him, with a sweet smile. "You aren't gonna dominate."

_"Who will it be. Shane or Jason? Jason or Shane? It all comes down to this."_

The two older boys were neck and neck, and then...

_"And the winner is...Jason Green!"_

"Well if I can't finish first, at least I can finish in style!"

Shane spun his tires, jumping out and coming over to high five his best friend.

"I win," Jason said smugly.

"You cut me off!"

"I don't care! Next time, name your time and place!"

The boys began to play fight, ending up on the ground with heaps of laughter. Mitchie watched them and rolled her eyes.

"Boys,"

_"I don't care what my friends think; I'm still the better driver. And I did get my liscense! And now, it's Mitchie's turn!"_


	25. Caitlyn Geller Brings Surprises

"Who are you calling?" Shane pried. He turned around to watch his friend's face.

"Why do you care?" Nate retorted, pressing his phone to his ear. "Hey."

_"Well if it isn't our famous sixteen year old,"_ Caitlyn said on the other end. _"How'd it go?!"_

"I passed!"

_"Yay! See, I told you that you would! And now you know never to doubt the words of the fabulous Caitlyn Gellar."_

"_Someone_ thinks very highly of themselves,"

_"Shut up, sore loser. I heard you lost to Jase when you guys went go-carting,"_

Shane raised an eye brow. "How do you know about that already, Cait? We _just_ left!"

_"HotTunes. Their reporters are really good at staying undercover. So anyway, what are you guys doing?"_

"Heading back to the hotel to rest for a little bit before the show. Jason's driving, Shane's been staring at himself in the mirror since we left-"

"Nate..." He said with a warning.

"I'm talking to you," Nate glanced down at his friend, who was curled up against him. "And Mitchie is KO'd. I think tour life is starting to get to her."

_"Aww, poor girl. Hey, when she wakes up, tell her I miss her. Anyway, I gotta go, My cab's here."_

"Cab?" Shane once again raised his eye brow, suspicious of his cousin. "Where are you going, Gellar? Do you have a date?"

_"Don't worry about it."_

"Caitlyn Margaret Marie-"

_"Gah! No! Don't do that! Like my middle names aren't bad enough. If you really must know, cousin dearest, I don't have a date. I'm just moving hotels."_

"As long as you don't have a date."

_"Dumb ass,"_ Caitlyn snickered. "_Bye, Jase! Don't forget to tell Miss. Mitchie that I miss her. Bye, Nathaniel, love you, Shaney."_

"Yeah yeah." He muttered. "Love you too, Len."

"Bye Cait,"

"She'd better not have a date."

"Relax," Nate told his band mate, as he hung up. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost, Mitchie-Jr." Jason responded, his eyes focused on the traffic ahead of him. "Do me a favor, will ya? Wake her up. She won't sleep tonight if she keeps napping like this."

"Sure,"

He began to shake her, causing Mitchie to crack an eyelid. "What do you want?"

"Wake up, Princess. We're at the hotel,"

"Okay," She shrugged, dropping her head back down onto his shoulder. "Again. Why am I awake?"

"Because you won't sleep tonight if you're sleeping right now," Jason was already out of the car, opening the backdoor for her to get out. "C'mon, guys."

The parking lot was deserted, thanks to their security team. Jason took his sister by the hand and led the way inside.

"Oh my gosh!" She screamed, pulling away from him. She ran and threw her arms around a very familiar looking girl.

Nate laughed, Shane shook his head in disbelief and Jason grinned.

"Why didn't you _tell_ us that you were coming?!"

"I can't surprise four of my favorite people?" Caitlyn asked with a smile. "I _missed_ you guys, and my parents were kind of tired of watching me mope around, so they agreed to let me stay the weekend, if it's okay with you guys, of course."

"Are you kidding me?" Shane asked. "Get over here!"

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her against him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Arrogant pop star. Now can you let go of me? I'd like to hug the remaining two members of Connect 3."

Rolling his eyes, he passed her off to his older friend.

"Hey, Caity-Cat!" Jason greeted, picking her up and spinning her around. She laughed, much like his own sister did when he did the same thing to her.

"Hey, Jase!"

Nate waited patiently, she ran into his arms, slipping hers around his waist.

"I missed you," Caitlyn muttered, even though they hadn't been talking so much in the past year, they were still close, after meeting through Shane at Camp Rock.

"I missed you too, Cait." He said with a low voice. "It's not the same without you."

"I am pretty awesome," She agreed, giggling as he poked her side. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Concert," Mitchie told her. "Bring ear plugs."

"Right here." Caitlyn patted her bag, causing the girls to crack up.

"Umm, guys. I hate to have to be the one to break up this beautiful moment, but we are in a hotel lobby. And I think people are starting to recognize us."

They all looked to where Jason was pointing; three teenage girls had their phones out, taking pictures.

"Right." Shane grabbed her duffle bag with one hand and wrapped his free arm around her shoulder. "C'mon, Gellar. We can finish this reunion upstairs."

"Right," She repeated, grabbing Mitchie's hand and pulling her along ahead of the two older boys. Nate scrambled to keep up.

"Staircase race?" Mitchie asked, raising an eye brow at her two age-sharers.

"Staircase race," They repeated, heading for the door. Jason and Shane sighed, sharing a look as the three sixteen year olds disappeared.

"I'm responsible for Mitchie," He began, hitting the button for the elevator. "You're responsible for Caitlyn..."

"Right..." Shane waited for him to continue, very intrigued to see what his point would be.

"So, which one of us is going to claim _Nate_, when the three of them are _together_?"

"Joint custody?"

"Joint custody."

* * *

"Here's what I'm thinking." Shane said to him later, they sat side by side in the limo, waiting to get to the concert.

"Yeah?" Jason asked, he removed his headphones and shot a quick glance at his sister, who was working on a song with Nate. Caitlyn was also reading the lyrics over his shoulder, though not as interested as the other two.

"You and I have joint custody of Nate; but when I have Caitlyn here, you have to be his primary caregiver, because Len is worse than the two of them put together."

"Dude. You're _still_ thinking about that?"

He laughed and ran a hand through his head. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Hey, Shaney." Caitlyn called from across the vast space. "It might just be my imagination, but you haven't been acting like Mr. Arrogant-Jerky Pop Star in quite a while. Anything you wanna tell me, dearest cousin of mine?"

Shane actually blushed; he knew the reason behind his dramatic attitude change, but did they notice it too?  
"I guess I just got tired of acting like that," He lied. "You want Mr. Arrogant-Jerky Pop Star to come back? Get a boyfriend,"

"God. You're still on that! I don't have a boyfriend, and I don't plan on having one for a _very_ long time."

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Over protective much?"

"Look!" Jason pointed out the window, eager to stop their bickering. "We're here."

Someone opened the limo door for them; she had to practically tear Nate away from his notebook.

"Gah! Fine!" He gave into her and Caitlyn's weak attempt, he got out first and threw his arms around them. "Tomorrow, Mitch? Writing session?"

"I'd like that," She responded, following the boys inside.

* * *

"One more encore," She called to Caitlyn. They had to shout to be able to hear each other.

"Thanks for the tips about the ear plugs!" Caitlyn yelled back, she sat back in her chair and watched the boys preform.

_There she goes again_  
_The girl I'm in love with_  
_It's cool we're just friends  
_  
_We walk the halls at school_  
_We know it's casual_  
_It's cool we're just...  
_  
_I don't wanna lead you on_  
_No  
_  
_The truth is I've grown fond_  
_Yeah  
_  
_Everyone knows it's meant to be_  
_Falling in love, just you and me_  
_'Til the end of time_  
_'Til I'm on her mind_  
_It'll happen  
_  
_I've been making lots of plans_  
_Like a picket fence and a rose garden_  
_I'll just keep on dreaming_  
_But it's cool cause we're just friends  
_  
_Small talk on IM_  
_Just one word sentences_  
_It's cool we're just friends  
_  
_And if I had my way_  
_We would talk and talk all day_  
_Yeah  
_  
_Everyone knows it's meant to be_  
_Falling in love, just you and me_  
_Till the end of time_  
_Til I'm on her mind_  
_It'll happen  
_  
_I've been making lots of plans_  
_Like a picket fence and a rose garden_  
_I'll just keep on dreaming_  
_But it's cool cause we're just friends_  
_Thinking about how_  
_We're gonna say our vows_  
_It's cool we're just friends  
_  
_As she walks down the aisle_  
_I see all my friends smile_  
_Cause now we're more than friends  
_  
_Everyone knows it's meant to be_  
_Falling in love, just you and me_  
_Til the end of time_  
_Til I'm on her mind_  
_It'll happen  
_  
_We've been making lots of plans_  
_Like a picket fence and a rose garden_  
_I'll just keep on dreaming_  
_Keep on thinking_  
_Of when we used to be just friends  
_  
_La la la la_  
_La la la la_  
_La la la la  
_  
_When we used to be just friends_  
_When we used to be_

_La la la la_  
_La la la la_

_Yeah_  
_La la la la_

_Yeah_  
_When we used to be just friends_

* * *

"Man, what a great show." Caitlyn praised as she dropped down onto the couch in Connect 3's large dressing room.

"It twas," Mitchie agreed, sliding down next to her. Within seconds, she was asleep, her head on Caitlyn's lap.

"Mitchie has all the right ideas," She said with a yawn, before she too, was asleep.

Jason and Shane turned to Nate.

"You're not allowed to fall asleep." Shane told him. "Because we're not carrying _you_ out too."

"I'll carry Caitlyn," He offered, rather quickly. "I mean, I don't mind."

The eighteen year old laughed. "If you really want too. Jase? You want a break? I'll carry Mitchie."

Jason made them laugh by pretending to stretch. "Thank god! My arms are getting tired."

With an eye roll, he wrapped his arms the darker brunet and picked her up. He held her as he had carried Caitlyn as a child, with her arms around his neck, her legs loose around his hips.

Nate carried Caitlyn bridal style, her head cradled on his shoulder. He was gentle with his movements, hoping that they wouldn't rock her too much.

Jason led the way, he was careful to make sure that the limo met them out in back, where fans weren't allowed.

The driver opened the door, and they began a hand off. Jason got in first and readied to take his sister.

Shane reluctantly handed her over, he watched with a small smile as her brother laid her on the seat across from him, buckling her in.

Nate handed Caitlyn off, Shane passed his cousin to his older friend.

Jason buckled her in as well, before moving back so his band mates could get in. This time, Shane opted to sit between them.

He rubbed Mitchie's back with one hand, the other absentmindedly ran through Caitlyn's hair.

Jason watched him carefully, but this time, a small smile was displayed on his face. It was very refreshing that his Mitchie was starting to become close to his best friends.


	26. Realization

"Hey, Princesses." Nate whispered, he reached over and undid Mitchie's seat belt. "Wake up. We're here,"

"Home?" Mitchie managed to mumble, her head was pressed into Shane's shoulder.

"Sort of," He told her. "Just wake up enough to get out of the limo, and then you can go back to sleep. I'll carry you, Mitch."

"Thank...You...Shay."

Nate was the first one out; Jason and Shane managed to get Caitlyn into a standing position.

He held both girls for a moment, his arms around their waists as he waited for the two oldest band members to get out.

"Here," Shane offered, he slung the sixteen year old onto his back and headed inside first, he walked quickly so she could get warm.

They took the elevator to the top floor, where their suite was located. The suite held two bedrooms, one with two twin beds and another with a king sized. There was a pull out; Nate had lost the coin toss and would be sleeping there.

"Cait and Mitch can share the double bed." Shane said rather quickly. "I feel like that's more acceptable than _you_ and _I_ sharing it, Jase."

"Truth," Jason reached over and took his sister into his arms; Shane took Caitlyn from Nate, and they carried them down the hall.

"Good night, baby sister." He pressed his lips to her forehead in a quick kiss. "I love you, Munchkin."

"Love you too, Jasey."

"Night, Len." Shane rubbed her back.

"Love you, Shaney."

"Love you too, Gellar."

The two boys left, closing the door behind him. Mitchie turned to face her friend, a small smile on her face.

"Let me guess," Caitlyn muttered, turning around to face her as well. "You don't want to go to sleep yet. Right?"

"Right! One question, please?!"

She laughed tiredly. "Okay. One. But it's only fair that I get to ask you one in return,"

"Ugh, fine!"

Caitlyn waited.

"Mitchie? What's your question?"

"Oh! I'm going first? Oh, alright!" The two girls giggled, trying to be quite was the furthest thing from their minds.

"Do you like Nate?"

She let out a long sigh; she should have been expecting this, after the way they were constantly flirting. "Um..."

"You have to be honest!"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Yes! He obviously likes you, so what's stoping you?! You two should get together like right now! I'll go get him-"

She grabbed the younger girl by the arm, yanking her back. As fragile as she looked, Caitlyn Gellar was strong when she wanted to be. Mitchie told her so.

"You can't tell him, alright?"

Mitchie raised an eye brow. "Why not? I mean, really, Cait. What's holding you back?"

Caitlyn let out a shaky breath as she dared to utter his name. "Drew..."

"Caitlyn," She suddenly felt like a horrible friend. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have brough it up. Maybe we should just go to bed..."

"No," She cut her friend off. "I mean, we're best friends, right?"

"Of course,"

"So as my best friend, I should be able to talk to you about stuff like this. I really feel like I can trust you, Mitch."

"Of course you can, Cait."

Mitchie reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Caitlyn held on as she began her rant.

"Jason told you he hit me, right? Well, it was only once or twice, and I broke up with him right away, but it scared the hell out of me. Someone who told me who loved me, who said that we would get married someday, I mean, this guy was a lot of firsts for me. Anyway, it was only once or twice, but how could he just hit me? I was so scared of every guy after that, including Shane. And now I don't know if I can ever trust a guy again. How do I know that if I say or do the wrong thing, that they're not gonna haul off and break my nose?"

"Cait..." Mitchie squeezed her hand again, at a loss for words. "You know Nate's not like that."

"I know," She smiled sadly. "You know, with Drew, I always felt like I had to be perfect for him, that I couldn't screw up, and that everything was my fault."

"How does Nate make you feel?"

"Safe." Caitlyn muttered, her smile grew. "With him, I know that he'd do anything just to make me smile. He would never, ever hurt me. He'd kill himself before he could ever hurt anyone."

"Sounds like you love him." She stiffed a yawn, dropping her head back down onto the pillow. "You know you can tell me anything, Cait."

"I know,"

A few seconds passed.

"Alright, Miss. Mitchie. My turn."

"Hmm?"

"How do you feel about Shane?"

She didn't answer, even when Caitlyn poked her. She was fast asleep.

"I could ask her tomorrow," She muttered as she slid under the covers. "But I'm pretty sure I already know my answer."

* * *

While Shane and Jason slept peacefully, Nate tossed and turned.

He had a lot on his mind.

He'd loved being able to hold Caitlyn in his arms, knowing that he was keeping her safe and warm the way Drew never did.

He came to a realization, a realization that Shane might kill him over if he ever found out.

Nate was in love with Caitlyn Margaret Marie Gellar.


	27. Good Morning America: Part 1

Cait." Shane called through the bathroom door, where, reasons only known to them, she had Mitchie had locked themselves into right after breakfast. "You picked a great weekend to come and stay with us."

"Oh yeah?" She glanced at Mitchie through the reflection of the mirror. "Why's that?"

"Interview day," Mitchie informed her, making a face. "Good Morning America. And yes, they will make you make a guest appearance. Maybe even for the _whole_ interview."

"Great." Caitlyn drew out. "_Another_ reason to be hated by Connect 3 fans."

"They don't _hate_ you." Nate said, in an effort to make her feel better. He threw the bathroom door open, so he could see what they were up too. "Only _half_ of them do, the other half _love_ you guys."

"Natie." Mitchie scolded. "Think you could learn to knock? Next time, we might not be _decent_."

He blushed.

"And then," Jason called, not looking up from his book. "I'd have to kill you."

"Protective big brother, much." she mumbled, putting the straightener down. "There, Cait. How's that?"

Caitlyn smiled at her reflection. "Perfect!"

Nate raised an eye brow. "_What_ are you two doing?"

The two girls seemed to have traded hair styles; Mitchie's was curled with her blunt bangs still hanging in her eyes. Caitlyn's hair was now straight, falling past her shoulders.

"We got bored," The sixteen year old, straightened haired girl admitted. "We got up at like, three, and you guys were still sleeping, so we ate and then Mitchie was like: 'Wanna do each other's hair?' And I was like 'Yeah, sure.' So then we had to do it."

Shane shook his head. "You're crazy, Len."

Then, he turned his attention to the now curly, darker haired girl. "And you look really great with curls, Mitch. You should wear your hair like that more often."

Mitchie blushed. "Thanks, Shay."

"No problem, Mitch."

"You guys ready?" Jason asked, standing up and stretching. He had purposelessly interrupted them, ready to put an end to their flirting any time and place. "We should probably get going."

* * *

"And welcome back to Good Morning America! Lara Spencer here, and I'm so excited to announce our next guest. Please welcome Connect 3!"

The fans were already screaming, jumping to their feet as the five figures made their way on stage, each reaching over to kiss the blonde woman on the cheek.

"Have a seat!" She encouraged, and unlike Monica Edwards, she seemed genuine to have them on the show. "And how about a round of applause for two wonderful young ladies, Jason's sister Mitchie, and Shane's cousin Caitlyn?!"

The girls began to scream again, if only louder for the two sixteen year olds. The girls simultaneously blushed, grinning at each other.

"Thank you for having us," Jason smiled at the audience, drapping his arm across the back of his sister's chair. "It's really great to see all of you, as usual."

"So what's a typical tour day?"

Mitchie and Caitlyn laughed. "_No_ day being a part of Connect 3 is all that typical."

Shane rolled his eyes, but nodded his head in agreement. "These two have a little tendency to be over dramatic, but yeah. It changes every day, but usually we get to sleep in, then we grab something to eat, go to the venue for setup and sound check. After that, we get to see the city a little bit and have some dinner. Then we play a concert that night.

"And after the shows?"

"We all try to have as much fun as we can." Jason explained, glancing at the others. "We had Nate's birthday party on our tour bus. I handed out invitations on the tour and we had a huge party on the bus with music and lights going. It was awesome."

"What about the challenges of pop stardom? How do you cope with the attention?"

"They use us," Caitlyn admitted, speaking for the first time. Her cousin poked her waist, giving her a playful glare, because they did in fact, do that. "Sometimes. I mean, there was this one time that I was with Nate at an after party, maybe a year ago. Anyway, this drunk girl kept hitting on him, so after a while, I started holding his hand and everything, and eventually she took a hint."

Nate sighed. "And that was great of you, but of course, the next day, the tabloids were all over that story. _'Shane Gray's little cousin, Caitlyn, having a hot fling with the bad boy's best friend, Nate Black? We think so!'_ It took a little while for that one to wear off."

"We do have fanatic fans. And the coolest feeling was, we debuted our video on TRL." Shane told her, getting the group back on track. "We went to TRL and going up to that window and seeing 400 screaming girls fans I mean, seeing 400 screaming fans, it's pretty awesome. It was awesome. It was a cool feeling"

"Yeah, for sure." Nate agreed. "Now that we're being noticed, places and people know who we are it's really cool. It's like a reassurance that everything we've been doing is actually working. It's really cool."

"They'll tell you, it's hard to keep a group as young as grounded, especially they thousands of girls are screaming out their names everywhere they go. I feel like my generation is the craziest. Shane and I stopped for gas after we dropped Caitlyn off a few weeks ago. We went in to grab something, a girl came over, tapped me on the shoulder and then tried to punch me."

Shane sighed and bumped her knee with his own. "After security had her on the ground, in hand cuffs, she started crying and saying that she didn't know that the girl I was with, was Mitchie. And if she had realized, she never would have tried to punch her. It's kind of surreal. You know, it's crazy, but at the same time we love our fans."

"It's kind of like how everybody else would react, you just laugh."

Jason nodded in agreement. "We genuinely love them and they're really cool and the fact that they show up for everything we do. I hear they're waiting outside as we speak, so it's really cool."

Lara Spencer smiled and glanced at her audience. "We'll be right back with Connect 3!"

* * *

Jason wasn't happy.

"You guys don't tell me that some _crazed_ fan tried to attack my baby sister, but you tell the _whole world_?"

"It's not the _whole world_, Jase." Caitlyn reminded him, trying to help. "Only like a _billion_ people."

"Whatever, Cait. Michelle Elizabeth Torres, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal, Jason! It's not like she actually punched me!"

"No," He agreed. "But she could have."

"Look, Jason." Mitchie leaned back into the leather couch placed in their dressing room. "Nothing happened. Shane turned around in time and pushed me out of the way."

Jason turned to face his young friend. "That true?"

"I wouldn't let anything happen to her," Shane said from across the room, his arms were crossed. "You know that."

"I know,"

And he did, he was grateful that his best friends were looking out for his sister, but Shane's protectiveness, it wasn't brotherly like Nate's seemed to be.

It was something else.


	28. Good Morning America: Part 2

"So I was wondering," Lara Spencer began, after they came back from the break. "What are you trying to achieve through your music?"

"We're just trying to be a light. With our music we're trying to be successful." Jason explained, answering without a second thought. "It's definitely a pop record. It's a pop/rock record for the mainstream. But our whole thing is to play mainstream music but to be a light in a dark world and to tell people that we are Christians when they ask, 'What's so different about you?' We're like, 'Well, we're Christians and we love the Lord.' That's our opportunity to witness to people. We just feel like this is where we belong. This is who we are and let's just go for it!"

She smiled. "Can Connect 3 dish it out?"

The boys laughed, everyone turning their attention to Shane.

"_Nate_ had the best line that I can remember"

Nate blushed. "Oh, yeah. On one date, the girl said to me, 'I don't kiss on the first date.' So I said, 'I don't follow the rules.' It was so good!"

"One time this girl said to me, 'I got my library card right here 'cause I'm checking you out!' That was pretty good because I couldn't help but laugh, and it started a conversation."

Mitchie had tears streaming down her cheeks as she remembered the line. "In the guy's new mini series, you'll see an episode where Shane uses it too!"

"Shane has a reputation for being the trio's biggest flirt, so is he guilty as charged?"

"When he flirts with a girl that one of his friends is into, it's a problem."

He let out a long sigh. "Yes. And I've been pummeled for it. It happened once when I started flirting with a girl that Nate liked and I had no idea. He was like, 'Dude. Lay off.'"

"I think the only girl he hasn't flirted with is Caitlyn," Mitchie giggled as he elbowed her. "What?! It's true!"

"Oh, so you two have been flirting?" Caitlyn asked, getting revenge. "Do tell,"

"Shane and I are just friends, guys. Next question,"

Thankfully. Lara moved on. "Fame and stardom comes with its own pressures and comes at a price. Have you guys discussed these issues?"

"Yeah of course." The boys agreed. "It's what you ask for. But you know what? This is the thing we know we want to do. It's the thing that God has blessed us to do. So we really can't wait for it to happen. If you're gonna get huge, you're gonna have to deal with it. And that's okay. There's consequences with everything, if you can call it a consequence, you know what I mean?"

"Being the objects of affection for tween and teen girls all over the world, Connect 3 has encountered many dedicated and determined fans. Recently, one eager gal scaled the roof of their California home trying to catch a glimpse of the pop sensations!"

"We weren't home." Shane laughed, the others joining in. "If we were home, we probably wouldn't let it happen. It was funny. Our fans can do funny things sometimes but we love them."

"Do you guys try your best to laugh off false tabloid reports?"

"We heard that Jason got married. Those rumors were pretty great."

"Yeah! My own brother gets married and I don't get invited?!"

Nate rolled his eyes.

Jason gave her a look, to which she smiled back innocently. Caitlyn and Shane snickered.

"We've heard ones that we have super powers. Unfortunately we don't."

"Jason has super bad breath in the morning," Mitchie offered. "Nate can stay up all night writing songs and still be in a tolerable mood for the rest of the day, and Shane can sleep through an avalanche. So there you go, guys. There's your super powers!"

Three pairs of eyes landed on her.

"We're gonna get you back for this, Mitch."

"So you guys seem really comfortable with each other, after only about a month. Mitchie? How are you coping living with three boys, let alone one of the hottest bands in the world?"

Suddenly serious, she gave the three boys a small smile. "They're basically like my brothers. They'll always have my back no matter what situation. They're hilarious guys, and also they've got really big hearts that people don't always see. And they're _very_ protective of me."

"You know that's not gonna get you out of the trouble you're in, right?" Caitlyn asked, with a raised eye brow.

"Yeah, I know."

Shane laughed and bumped her knee again. "I forgive you, Mitch."

"So is life on the road tough?"

"It's not exactly summer vacation," Nate admitted, many of their fans seemed to think it was. "But going on tour is really cool. All year long we'll get to play cool venues. It's going to be incredible. We've had some pretty amazing experiences."

"But really, our dream is just about playing music, and it's come true. This world tour is gonna be a lot of fun."

"It's been so amazing. No matter what we do, everyone has made sure our music is a major part of it, because that is everything that we are. We're so pumped. So happy that we've been blessed with everything possible."

Lara nodded. "Now, I know this year has brought some unexpected surprises. How are you dealing with everything that's happened?"

Mitchie realized that the woman was talking about her parents, but Lara Spencer was a wonderful person for not going into pacific detail.

Shane turned to look at the Mitchie for a second, his heart ever softening.

"I don't think we regret one thing that's happened in our career yet, and we're really happy with the kind of people that we are. We are so thankful for every moment that we've had. We're living the dream."

* * *

"I'm sorry!" She begged, as her brother held her upside down. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Michelle Elizabeth..." Jason drew out. "What should we do with her, Nate?"

"Tickle her to death?" He suggested with a laugh. "You've earned it, Mitch."

"Hey! What I said about you was nice!"

"True..." Nate stopped to think about this. "Tickle her to death anyway."

Jason let his sister return to her feet, only to divebomb her, trapping her arms under his legs. He straddled her waist and began to tickle her.

"Jase!"

Eventually, he laughed and stood up, dragging her along. "You're doing great, Mitch. I'm proud of you."

"Eh hem,"

"We're proud of you too, Cait." Nate wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Really. I don't know any other sixteen year old girls who can do so well under pressure."


	29. Good Morning America: Part 3

"So, I have to ask." Lara continued. "I was a teenage girl once too. Were there any summer romances?"

"Summer romances are good," Shane said with a smile. "We all went to camp a lot, and one of the best things about it was that we would always meet girls there. Did I have one this summer? No."

"So when it comes to meeting girls, what makes your hearts skip a beat?"

Nate laughed. He knew exactly who he was describing, and he hoped that she knew it too. "For me, it's when a girl has confidence. And it always touches me when a girl is encouraging. It really makes you feel she honestly cares about you."

"I like a girl who's laid-back and makes me laugh." Jason shared, he blushed as a picture of himself kissing Hayley came across the screen. Man, he missed her.

"And Shane?"

"I love a natural beauty with a cool sense of style who stands out a little because she's happy being who she is."

"Girls have done some pretty crazy things to try to get your attention?"

"Once, a girl jumped in front of our car…while we were driving it," Nate shook his head

"That was interesting," Shane added. "Remember the girl who sent us a dead shark?"

"Oh yeah! That was defiantly one of the weirdest."

"No idea why."

"And then there was the gooey, dripping mail delivery. A super fan wanted to share her birthday with Shanee, so she mailed him a slice of cake. Ice cream cake." Mitchie said with a laugh, repeating the story he had told her earlier.

"That was just too weird!"

"So, then, how do girls really get your attention?"

"Hey," Nate quoted, imitating a super-quiet girl voice. "What's up?"

He laughed than found his real voice again. "Girls don't need to say much to get my full attention."

"So Nate," The blonde interviewer eyed the sixteen year old brunet for a split second. "You said there was something that you and Mitchie would like to preform?"

"Nathaniel Richard Black..." Mitchie threatened. "What is she talking about?"

Jason, Shane and Caitlyn were snickering. "The ultimate payback!"

"We'll be right back with Nate and Mitchie, preforming, Stop The World!"

* * *

She went pale.

"Why did you do that?!" She demanded, her head in between her legs as she took short, shaky breaths. Caitlyn was kneeling down beside her, rubbing her back.

"I didn't know you were gonna practically _pass out_ on us as soon as we got you off stage!" Nate defended; he felt awful. "God, Mitch! I am so sorry! I didn't know this would happen."

"Here," Jason whispered, handing her a bottled water. "Sorry, Mitch. You don't have to do this,"

"Yes I do." She bought her head up, her color was almost back to normal, and her head had finally stopped spinning.

"Look at you, Mitchie." Shane scolded. "You're _not_ going out there!"

"Thanks for the concern, Shane. But you're _not_ my father, _and_ you're _not_ my brother."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be the hero, Mitch. You're _not_ going out there."

"_Yes_, I am,"

With help from her best friend and her brother, she was on her feet in no time, taking Nate's outstretched hand. She was ready.

"Mitch." Shane tried to grab her arm. "I'm serious."

"Don't touch her," Jason warned. "If she says she can do this, then I believe her."

He shook his head in disgust. "Whatever."

* * *

"Everyone welcome back to the stage, Nate Black and Mitchie Torres!"

The two sixteen year olds were sitting on stools, mics lowered so they could sing, and guitars in their arms.

Nate smiled at her.

"You can do this," He mouthed.

Believing his words, Mitchie took a deep breath and began. She could hear Nate strumming the melody as she played harmony.

I don't know why,  
I don't know why I'm so afraid

I don't know how  
I don't know how to fix the pain

We're living a lie  
Living a lie, this needs to change

We're out of time  
We're out of time and it's still the same

We can't stop the world  
But there's so much more that we could do  
You can't stop this girl  
From falling more in love with you  
You said nobody has to know  
Give us time to grow and take it slow  
But I'd stop the world  
If it'd finally let us be alone  
Let us be alone

I'm hearing the noise  
Hearing the noise from all around

I'm on the edge  
I'm on the edge of breaking down

Like Bonnie and Clyde  
Let's find a ride and ditch this town

To keep it alive  
Keep it alive

Don't make a sound

We can't stop the world  
But there's so much more that we could do  
You can't stop this girl  
From falling more in love with you  
You said nobody has to know  
Give us time to grow and take it slow  
But I'd stop the world  
If it'd finally let us be alone  
Let us be

I never want to take that final look  
I'll turn another page  
Won't close the book

We can't stop the world  
But there's so much more that we could do  
You can't stop this girl  
From falling more in love with you  
You said nobody has to know  
Give us time to grow and take it slow  
But I'd stop the world  
If it'd finally let us be alone

Let us be alone  
Let us be alone  
Let us be alone

They finished, and the crowd jumped to their feet, screaming her name. They had been singing along.

She felt Nate's hand slip into hers, and for the first time in a long time, she felt whole.

* * *

"Mitch!"

She was in the air, currently being spun around by her brother. She laughed, and warned him that he was making her queasy once again.

"Sorry," Jason laughed and put her down, slipping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her in for another head. "God, baby sister. You were amazing!"

"You were the best damn thing the world has ever seen!" Caitlyn was next to hug her. "But really, Mitchie. That was awesome! Why didn't we know that you could sing like that?!"

"I did," Nate told her, poking her cheek as he passed. "How did I do, Cait?"

"You were alright. Not as good as our girl, here, though."

"I have to agree with that, _unfortunately_."

"Shane?" Mitchie asked, pulling away from her friends.

He crossed the room and pulled her into a hug. "That was incredible, Mitchie! Your voice is beautiful...One of a kind."


	30. Goodbye and Bad News

"Do you really have to go?"

She sighed, just as upset. "Yeah. I don't want too, but that was the agreement with my parents. Shane's trying to talk them into a 'joint custody' type of thing, where you guys get me every other weekend."

"If I had it my way, you'd be with us all the time."

Caitlyn laughed. "Yeah. Me too. I mean, I love my mom and dad, but I also love tour life, and spending time with my cousin. I know my parents love me, but they also love their carer. Shane's the only person who's ever been constantly checking up on me, making sure that I'm okay too."

"Please don't go?" Mitchie asked, wrapping her arms around the curly haired girl

"Don't worry, Mitch." Shane said from the doorway. "She'll be back next weekend."

"Really?!"

"Yeah." He laughed. "Apparently my mother, the big sister, still has a lot of influence over her little sister. I think you'll be spending a lot of time with us, Cait."

She ran over and hugged him, Mitchie joined in.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

* * *

"

"We have _another_ interview."

Mitchie, Shane and Jason looked over at him warily from their spot on the leather couch of the tour bus. They were on the move once again, spending the night on the tour bus.

Currently, Mitchie was sitting on her brother's lap, trying to nap. Shane and Jason were playing video games, careful to have the sound on low so she could sleep.

"You know, it's really hard to play with you right there," He muttered as he moved around her to wrestle Shane's character.

"Deal with it." Mitchie hissed, her eyes closed. "You guys don't have to play that stupid game right now. Do you?"

"Yes." The boys answered together.

"Guys." Nate called. "Did any of you hear what I just said?"

"Yeah." They said in unison. "Why?"

"We have to do _another_ interview. _Tomorrow_."

"_Okay_,"

Nate sighed, frustrated with their one word answers. "That's not _annoying_ to you guys? Not at all?"

They didn't answer, instead, Jason shoved Mitchie off of him, she landed in between the two.

"Jerk." She muttered, getting up to stand next to the other sixteen year old.

"Shane's title," Jason replied distractedly. "Not mine."

"Shut up, Jason."

Nate rolled his eyes, grabbed her hand and dragged her off towards the back of the bus; they sat down on his bunk.

"They don't listen." He shook his head in disgust. "Want to get back at them?"

Mitchie grinned. "This is why I love you! Let's go,"

They grabbed their respective pillows, Nate handed his off to her for safe keeping before bravely going to unplug their game.

"Nathaniel." Shane hissed. "You or Mitchie better be bleeding internally, or else you're a dead man."

"Not again." Jason groaned as the two sixteen year olds began to attack them, Michie and Nate began to laugh, the others joining in soon after.


	31. The Today Show: Part 1

"Three...Two...One! Good morning and welcome to The Today Show. I'm Carson Daily. I'd like to welcome our guests today, Connect 3! Jason Green, Nate Black and Shane Gray, along with Jason's sister, Mitchie Torres!"

"Hello," The four greeted together, making everyone in the room laugh.

"They are taking over!" Carson told his listeners. It seemed like everyone besides Monica Edwards from HotTunes was genuinely happy to have them on their shows. "So how's it going, you guys? How are you?"

"We're good, we're good." Jason promised. He was sitting on the left end, beside him was Mitchie, then Shane and then Nate. "How are you, my friend?"

"Amazing. So, you guys. It's been a while. When's the last time you were here?"

"Umm..." Shane stopped to think. "A year, maybe?"

"So, tonight in Phoenix, Connect 3 is kicking off with their buoyant, guitar-driven anthem, That's Just the Way We Roll. It sounds a lot like ecstatic love. It sounds like clean, wholesome fun. It also sounds like money."

Nate actually laughed. "Two years ago, we were in a big red passenger van with a trailer hitched to the back with all our gear,"

"Big Bertha," Shane said with a smile. "It had a dent in it, and we'd flip the seats around and call it..."

"The Players Lounge."

The three boys laughed at the memory.

"We once played this show in Jersey," Nate said, glancing at the others to see if they too, remembered. "It was, seriously, the most horrible little rock club in the world. It fit maybe 50 people. When we got there, the guy said there was a heavy-metal band the night before that blew out the PA system, so they'd have to take the monitors and spin them around."

"It was out of control," Jason muttered. "And our crowds were interesting."

"Interesting?"

"_Curious_,"

Shane sighed. "It was like when you perform in third grade or your little sister has a ballet recital..."

"Not that Mitchie was never in ballet," Her brother interjected. "She couldn't dance to save her life."

"Shut up." She hissed, slapping him. She turned to the second oldest band member. "Continue?"

"They'd all go like this." He began a slow clap. "It was like that."

"It had potential," Nick says. "Like it could be crazy. But it wasn't there yet."

"So you guys are pretty close," Ryan observed with a small smile. "Are you anything alike?"

"No," The three boys said together.

"Jason, the oldest, is the extrovert, chatting up bus drivers and security guards, crouching on his knees to greet little kids at shows." Shane explained.

"Shane is like a prettier version of the actor Peter Gallagher," Nate said, causing Mitchie to go into hysterics. "He's the quieter Connect 3 member, with a wild alter ego revealed onstage, where he swivels his hips and twirls a mike stand like a light saber.

"I'm really inspired by Mick Jagger and Freddie Mercury. the big frontmen," He admitted. "I heard Jagger does an hour on a treadmill before every show."

"Nate, by contrast, is Connect 3's boss: the spokesman, the best musician, the chief songwriter."

"Is it odd for you two to take their lead from your young friend?"

"We don't really see it that way." Shane said honestly. "Nate has always been older than he was. We have an inside joke about where he's a forty year old man inside a sixteen year old's body. Despite his heartthrob status, Nate has more Eddie Vedder in him than he does Shaun Cassidy. He says his favorite songs are Elvis Costello's I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea and Johnny Cash's Give My Love to Rose."

"Mitchie. Describe Connect 3 is three words."

She giggled, earning a mock-warning look from her brother. "Umm...Let's see. Fun, energetic, positive, rock and roll."

"Five words," Shane mumbled. "Cheater."

"Shut up!" Mitchie elbowed him. "How about I describe Shane with just one word? Arrogant!"

"Ha!" Nate cheered, reaching out to high five her. "Yes!"

"What's your favorite tune from the album?"

"Still in Love with You because it's a great love story." Shane had written the song about his first real, serious girlfriend. They were on good terms, she had been his first love.

"SOS because I was really able to take an experience that happened to me and write a song out of it."

"SOS. It's just so much fun to play." Jason agreed. It was a great song.

"How much input did you have in your album?" Carson questioned. "Do you write songs?"

"We write our songs and love to help and have input on the production aspect of the songs as well. Our music is very important to us."

Carson nodded then turned his attention to the only female in the room. "Mitchie. Do you write your own songs? Where does your inspiration come from?"

She laughed. "Whenever I write music, it's never planned. I'm always either playing guitar or piano first, and then I'll write lyrics to it. But I love writing lyrics about experiences that I've had in my life."

"So, Mitchie, and Shane, you can answer this one too. A lot of fans are beginning to speculate that there's something going on between you two, even coming up with the couple name _'Smitchie'_. Is there any truth to that?"

The pair glanced at each other before laughing, loudly.

"Really?" Mitchie blushed. "That's awesome!"

Shane rolled his eyes. "Naturally, Connect 3 has started to become tabloid targets, and it amuses us with the gossip about our dating lives. I get it. When I was young, I wanted to know what my favorite bands were up to all the time. And it's funny when there's a rumor. It's funny when you find out there are other celebrities with crushes on you, like when I read that Lauren Conrad from The Hills liked me."

Nate nodded in agreement. "The Kim Kardashian rumor about me was hilarious. I was honored, but I was like, 'Reggie Bush would kill me!'"

"Mitchie? How do you feel about this?"

''Shane and I never dated. We're really good friends," Mitchie told them honestly. "I just think it's funny that people try to pin me to them. It's like, Oh, come on! I think if I were going to, I would have dated one of them by now!"

"And by one of _them_," Jason added. "She means Shane and Nate."

Everyone laughed once again. Carson Daily turned to the camera. "We'll be back!"


	32. The Today Show: Part 2

"Well _that_ was awkward."

She and Shane were in the dressing room alone, Jason and Nate had stepped out to, _see a man about a horse_.

"Was it?" Shane asked, sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."

For a second, Mitchie was worried that he was back to his old ways, but he turned away from looking at his own reflection to grin at her.

"You did great, Mitch." He told her. "I'm sorry that everyone has to pry into everything we do."

"I guess I kind of asked for this." Shr shrugged off her feelings about Carson's questions.

Shane raised an eye brow. "What do you mean by that?"

Mitchie shrugged again. "After my parents died, I had the option to go into foster care. I mean, I know Jason would have fought with everything he had to come and get me. But I almost wonder if things would have been easier, for him and me."

"Don't let Jason hear you talking like that." He warned, he came and sat down next to her on the couch, draping his arm around her shoulders in the process.

"Come to think...Why are you talking like that? Do you even realize just how he wants you here? You are the most important person in his world. I've never seen Jason care about someone as much as he has you. It'd break his heart if he knew that you were unhappy."

"I'm not!" Mitchie practically screamed. "God. Shane, _no_! I love being here! I love Jason, and I love you and Nate! I wouldn't trade my new life for anything! Just, sometimes I wonder if this tour would be easier for you guys if I wasn't here."

"Mitchie." Shane said disapprovingly. "This tour is a thousand times better than any one we've ever been on _because_ you're here."

* * *

"You're currently on tour." Carson began as they rejoined him on stage. "What have the highlights been so far?"

"The highlights have been amazing." Jason told them. "Everything has been just unbelievable! We are enjoying every single minute of it. We can't wait for the rest of the tour and of course continuing into Europe."

"What do you do to relax when you come off stage?"

"It's pretty amazing! We get off stage and have to take it easy for a minute because we push ourselves really hard, so it's like Phew...Okay..right! Let's just sit down for a bit! Then, of course, we get some food! We are always starving afterwards, so that's usually priority number one! Once we've done that, we just continue on. Get on the bus and say hi to some fans on the way out."

"They eat a _lot_." Mitchie added. "I'll get like a salad or something. Two nights ago, I had a sandwich after their concert, Shane walks by me with three sandwiches, two bags of chips, an apple, a cupcake, a chocolate cookie, and a milk. He looked at me and was like: _'What_?'"

The audience laughed.

"I had an apple." Shane defended.

"Don't even get me started on what Jason had on his tray."

"You have to spend a lot of time together, I mean, you guys live together. What is the best and the worst thing about touring with each other?"

"I don't think there is a worst thing." Nate said thoughtfully. "It's really amazing that we get to be on tour together. Maybe, probably, the best thing is that you have your best friends over your shoulder, so you can look over at them when you're playing. It's like Wow! This is really cool, we get to hang out and do this together!"

"Jason." Carson turned to look at the oldest member. "Do you have an ultimate summer tune?"

"You know, being away from home you start listening to certain things that remind you of where you're from. The song 3x5 by John Mayer is one of the songs that plays a chord in my heart. The song is about not taking a picture because it doesn't do it justice, whatever you're seeing, and that it's okay because the next time you're there, that person will be with you."

Mitchie watched him carefully. "You are _so_ deep, Jase."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Shut up."

"So, Jason." Carson said again, eager to get to this part. "You're dating knockout super model Hayley Anderson, correct?"

"That I am," He said proudly.

"Relationships all have ups and downs anyway and being on camera and on tour must add so much pressure. Do you find that? How does it affect your relationship?"

"That's exactly the truth, and you know, to add in pressure to something as big of a deal as relationship when you're both in the business is maybe never, like, the best choice. But with us, you just have to be strong and know your relationship and know your partner, and luckily I've got a great one and I know exactly what we both are looking for in this relationship and hoping to get out of it. Every day is a battle to make sure we're doing the best we can for each other."

Shane, Mitchie and Nate pretended to snore on each other, Jason had a habit of taking too long to answer a simple question.

"How do you and Haley cope with being apart from each other? Do you Skype a lot?"

"Oh yeah, we Skype all the time. Any time we're apart from the person we're with we're always trying to be in touch and call. It's just important to keep that line of communication open, because with what we do, it definitely can be difficult. There's some intense moments of us working our schedules out. Hayley wants to come with me and then she can't because she has an opportunity at hand as well, and it just takes a toll. And it really is frustrating sometimes. There's moments where I'm like, 'Here's the thing - I can be here this day but I can't be here this day. Can you make it to me that day?' 'No'. So sometimes our schedules just don't line up and as hard as you try, you just have to make the best of it. But you know, that's why video chat is kind of like the best thing in the world."

"Well, Jason. We know you haven't seen your girlfriend since you left almost a month ago, so we've got a little surprise for you. Hayley! Come on out, sweetheart!"

Jason's face glowed as he jumped to his feet, almost running to grab the tall brunet around the waist and press his lips to hers.

"We're gonna let Jason and Hayley...Catch up a bit! We'll be back!"

* * *

"Oh my god!" Jason had refused to let go of her since she had come out. "I can't believe you're here!"

"I'm here, babe." Hayley reassured him, she unwound his arms from her waist and turned to the sixteen year old girl. "Hey, short stuff!"

"Hi!" Mitchie replied, just as enthusiastically. She threw her arms around her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mitch."

"Guys? We're back on in five." A stagehand called over his shoulder. Jason, Shane and Nate were about to preform. Then, they could get back to the hotel.

'I don't want to leave you." Jason said with a pout. He wrapped his arms around his two girls and held on. "You guys wanna do the song without me?"

"Not a chance." Nate replied as he and Shane grabbed him and dragged him back out to the stage.

Hayley wrapped her arm around Mitchie as they waited to watch their boys.

"So, who knew you were such a little pop star." She teased, squeezing her. "But seriously, you were amazing on Good Morning America! Are you going to start preforming more, or what?"

"I don't know," Mitchie replied. Before she could say any more, the boys were playing.

_She was all I ever wanted_  
_She was all I ever needed and more_  
_She walked out my door_  
_Yeah, she went away_

_Left my heart in two_  
_Left me standing here_  
_Singing all these blues, ooh_

_You left without a single word_  
_Not even sorry_  
_It might have hurt worse to hear you say_  
_I'm leaving_

_Goodbye_

_But your smile still makes my heart sing_  
_Another sad song_  
_I can't forget it_

_Won't regret it_  
_Cause I'm still in love with you_

_We had fun under the sun_  
_And when_

_We think it's okay_

_She'd be my angel_  
_We were so in love_  
_Then she went away_

_Left my heart in two_  
_Left me standing here_  
_Singing all these blues_

_Yeah Yeah_

_You left without a single word_  
_Not even sorry_  
_It might have hurt worse to hear you say_  
_I'm leaving_

_Goodbye_

_But your smile still makes my heart sing_  
_Another sad song_  
_I can't forget it_

_Won't regret it_  
_Cause I'm still in love with you_

_I still love you, girl_  
_I don't know what hurts worse, baby?_  
_Seeing you with him_  
_Or being alone, on my own_

_I know_

_He doesn't love you, baby_  
_Not like I did_

_What's the point?_  
_You're not listening anyway_

_You left without a single word_  
_Not even sorry_  
_It might have hurt worse to hear you say_  
_I'm leaving_

_Goodbye_

_But your smile still makes my heart sing_  
_Another sad song_  
_I can't forget it_

_Won't regret it_  
_Cause I'm still in love with you_

_You left without a single word_  
_Not even sorry_  
_It might have hurt worse to hear you say_  
_I'm leaving_

_Goodbye_

_But your smile still makes my heart sing_  
_Another sad song_  
_I can't forget it_

_Won't regret it_  
_Cause I'm still in love with you_

* * *

**Song: Goodnight and Goodbye: Jonas Brothers :)**


	33. Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

"So why do you guys have _another_ interview three days from now?"

"Because our label likes to make us suffer." Shane retorted. He was tired, almost irritable, and was sitting beside himself in the limo.

Mitchie was with Nate, she would have been sitting with Shane had he not grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him.

"I like interviews," She mumbled, half asleep. These long days were really getting to her.

"Don't worry, Mitch." Jason muttered, squeezing her hand. "When we get back to the hotel, you can sleep until the show tonight."

"Great."

"Okay, mini-me," Shane teased. "That's still a good two hours of sleep, Michelle."

"_Not_. _Enough_." Mitchie hissed, making them laugh. "When do you guys get a day off?"

"_Christmas_." The three answered, in the same tone.

They were at the hotel, Shane ended up carrying her once again. He dropped her down onto the couch before heading out to go for a run.

Nate went back to writing, leaving Jason and Hayley to hide out in his room.

"She looks really good." Hayley praised right after he kissed her. "Really, Jase."

"She's doing really good." Jason admitted, proudly. "You know, at first, I thought that maybe Mitchie would have been better off with a foster family, so she could go to school and have a normal growing up. But now, I never want her to leave my sigh, _ever_ again."

* * *

"Welcome to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon! Now, I know all you young ladies are excited to meet our next guests, so let's waste no more time bringing them out. Ladies and Gentlemen, Connect 3!"

Jason led the way, flanked by his two band mates and then his sister. Every interview they did, the host insisted on Mitchie staying for the entire interview.

She loved the attention.

"Hello!" Jimmy Fallon greeted, shaking hands with each of the boys. The girl, he kissed on the cheek and offered her a quick hug before they all sat down on the couch.

"Welcome, welcome!"

"Thank you very much, sir." Jason said with a smile.

"So, what's a typical day in the life of Connect 3 right now?"

Nate sighed. "It's not as interesting as you'd think**. **We wake up early, do radio interviews, then some more interviews either in person or over the phone, then a meet & greet with fans, then sound check and then play a show. We then drive to the next city & do it all over again."

"And Mitchie? How's life with Connect 3 for you?"

"The Connect 3 boys are great guys, real gentlemen. They've become like brothers to me, the other two. I even put on my glasses and wear sweatpants around them because you wouldn't put makeup on for just your brothers! But I have a different relationship with each one. Like, Nate and I always have these totally crazy conspiracy-theory conversations! We've been writing songs together, and we have a lot of pillow fights. Jason's older, he's my big brother, but he's really funny. You know, I'm not going to lie and say that we've always been close, because people know there were about six years where we didn't talk. But I'm here with him now, and he's really taking good care of me. And I can definitely call Shane a best friend, he really looks out for me. He's not the jerk the world has made him out to be. Nate too, you know, he went through some of the same things that I've been going through after my mom and dad died. We sat there and spilled everything, and I talked about how I was feeling, and how he felt. It was emotional, but it brought us closer together. I'm able to go to all of them with my problems."

Jimmy nodded, the audience gave a chorus of 'awws' as Jason leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

"What is your craziest fan story?"

Jason laughed. "We were signing autographs and there was this one girl and she just started crying, and we didn't know what to do. So we just sort of waved and she was crying even more, we felt so bad, we didn't know what to do."

"She just _freaked_ out; she was shaking. It was pretty crazy."

Mitchie laughed, she never grew tired of hearing their stories. Soon, she would have enough to tell too.

"We've had..." Shane drew out, making a face. "_Underwear_ thrown on stage."

Nate laughed. "What are you talking about? No, we didn't."

"Uh, yes we did." The two older boys insisted. "Maybe you didn't see it, but it defiantly happened."

"How do the three of you decide on a song?" Jimmy questioned.

"I always walk away from them, because they're just..." He sighed, making the audience laugh.

Jason shook his head. "No, we all work together, but that is something we fight about sometimes, not really anymore, but we went through that period about halfway through the album."  
**  
"**I would just get upset sometimes, because I felt like every song wasn't there yet."

Nate sighed again. "Like with the song Mandy, there's this part: And all those boy bands. that's my line. I wrote it and..."

"And we didn't like it, and we were like _'Dude, that's so stupid_.'"

"And now it's the _one_ line of the song the whole crowd sings."

The boys laughed.

"Nate is portrayed as something of a klutz on TV. Is that true?"

"That would be _me_ or _Shane_." Jason admitted with a laugh. "The other night, I was doing this move, where I'm supposed to spin with my guitar, and I did it, but the stage was really slippery. I ended up falling back into the speaker. Nate was on the keyboard, singing and he turned around to make sure that I was okay."

"He started laughing." Mitchie finished. "And then he lost his place. It was actually really funny."

"That bruise I got wasn't funny." He mumbled, rubbing his neck.

"It's definitely happened on stage where..." Shane sighed. "Well, I'm good at falling. It's been on YouTube many times."

"How embarrassing is that?"

"Sometimes it's funny. I laugh at it. It's important to laugh at yourself and that shows I'm not trying to hide who I am; sometimes klutzy on stage."

Carson nodded then once again turned his attention back to Mitchie.

"So, earlier, Miss. Mitchie had some very nice things to say about the three of you. Care to return the favor?"

The three pretended to think about it, earning a slap from the small sixteen year old girl.

"_Ouch_!" Jason rubbed the back of his head, he shot her a playful glare. "See? This is why nobody says anything nice about you!"

Mitchie smiled back innocently. "Brothers first,"

"I love my sister." He began. "More than anything. Mitchie's a legitimate artist. She loves to write, she loves to play, she loves to sing, and it's her passion. She's amazing at everything she does."

"Having Mitch on stage was amazing. I mean, she's one of our closest friends now, obviously. And, you know, Mitchie's got that brilliant smile that just makes you feel good."

Nate poked her side, making her giggle and show the audience her beautiful smile.

"Shane?" Carson asked. All focus was now on him.

"You know, to have a really good relationship with anybody, you have to have some ups and downs to appreciate what it is. For me and Mitchie, I think we both realize nobody is perfect and we do care for each other's imperfections. In this business, it's really hard to find people who are going to be there for the rest of your life. When I met Mitchie, I knew right away that our friendship was really strong. I don't want to lose that ever."

"Aww," Jason and Nate chorused, causing the audience to do the same. "That's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say."

Shane frowned, he didn't like people to see him be this sappy. "Don't get too use to it."

Carson blinked, suddenly aware that Pop Star Shane Gray might be back. "I, ugh...Thank you for joining us today, guys. And good lucky with the rest of your tour."

Shane was the first one off stage, he didn't speak to the others, let alone Mitchie.


	34. Forgotten Shards

"Shane?"

"Mitchie." Jason began, shotting Nate a worried glance. "Maybe you should..."  
His door opened just enough for a hand to shoot out and wrap around her wrist, yanking her inside before it slammed again, this time locking.

"_What_, Mitch?" He asked crossly as he walked back to the bed, lying down.

"You okay?" Mitchie asked hesitantly, she sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for him to stop staring at the celling. "You've been acting weird ever since we left. What's going on?"

"_Nothing_."

"Shane."

"Damn it, Mitch! I said nothing, alright? Can you please stop asking me that?" He hissed, locking eyes with her.

"Why are you acting like this?"

Shane shrugged. "This is how I always act, even before you came along. Get used to it, because I'm not that kid who just loved music anymore."

"Yes you are," She muttered. "Sure, you let the fame go to your head for a couple of years, but the last month, Shane-"

"I don't _care_ about the last month, Mitchie. None of it!"

Mitchie reeled back, as if he had slapped her. She blinked before getting up and unlocking the door, not stopping even when he called her name.

"Mitchie! Mitch, wait. I didn't..."

She let the door slam shut behind her, she didn't care if he was behind her or not. Nate took one look at her before nudging his older friend.

He opened his arms for her without a word, closing them around her small frame. He held her, just like he had when she was a kid and she had had a bad dream.

"Just let him cool off." Jason muttered, he knew from experience. "He didn't mean it, Mitch. Just think about what he said earlier, it would _kill_ him to lose you."

Mitchie nodded, she buried her face into the crook of his neck. If anyone could make her feel safe, it was her brother.

"Nate." He muttered, standing up with her in his arms. "I think Mitchie and I need a little alone time. We'll be back before dinner."

* * *

Half an hour later, they had found the perfect, secluded spot. It was a playground, much to Mitchie's delight.

Their security team was standing by as Jason got his little sister to cheer up.

Currently, he was chasing her around, ready to catch and tickle her.

"You can't get me!" She called over her should, childishly sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oh yeah?" Jason was gaining speed. Suddenly, she was trapped in his arms. "Gotcha, baby sister!"

"Damn it, big brother!" Mitchie complained with a smile. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he began to prob her waist. "Okay! Okay! Jasey! You win!"

"I like it when I win."

When she was back on her feet, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along to the swings, they had always been her favorite part of the playground growing up.

"Mitch," Jason said after a few minutes. They had been sitting side by side in silence, watching the sun set. "Are you happy?"

"Of course I am," She answered quickly, without a dread of doubt in her voice. "Why?"

He kicked the ground with his foot. "I don't know," He admitted. "Did you ever think that our lives would end up like this?"

"Nope. Not really."

After another moment of silence, Mitchie decided to tell Jason one of her most-kept secrets.

"Did they tell you about the accident?"

"No. Why? Mitch..." Jason drew out. "_What don't I know_?"

* * *

_"Thank you for dinner, daddy." She said, after he beat her to the car. It was one of their traditions, racing almost everywhere they went._

_She had done it with Jason, even when he became a moody teenager. But her father had stepped up to take his place._

_"You're welcome, Princess."_

_"I don't know how to keep up with you two." Connie, unlike her husband and daughter, had walked out the door. "Thank goodness you weren't wearing heels, Mija."_

_"That's the last thing I need to be doing."_

_Half an hour later, they were almost home. Her mom and dad had begun to joke about something, teasing her. What about, she couldn't remember._

_It all seemed to happen so fast; one second they were laughing, and the next, her dad was yelling at her to get down,_

_Mitchie undid her seatbelt and rolled, covering her face with her hands as a semi truck slammed into their small, red Honda._

* * *

Jason stared at her, he blinked back tears. "You were _in_ the car?"

Slowly, Mitchie nodded. She was crying too, wrapped up in his arms once again. "Dad was DOA. Mom was gone an hour after they got her into surgery. I didn't have a scratch on me. They're _dead_, and I'm _here_."

"Mitchie!" Jason hissed, holding her even closer. "No. Don't you dare talk like that! Dad told you to duck so you could still be here!"

She began to cry harder, and he pulled her onto his lap, letting her burrow her face into his shoulder.

"God." He muttered. "I almost lost you too. Why didn't you tell me, Mitch?"

"I don't know." She finally managed to say. "I meant to right away, Jase. I really did. But that memory..."

"Your self conscious is blocking it, or at least trying to." Jason finished for her. "It's trying to protect you, so you don't feel the pain."

"It's not working anymore."

"Shh, Mitch. It's okay, alright? You're gonna be okay. Do you need to talk to someone? I can find someone easily enough...It's okay, Mitch. I promise I will never leave you. I love you so much, don't forget that."

Jason had held his sister plenty of times, but this time, he felt just how much she needed him at that moment.

Mitchie's arms were around his waist; she was grateful for him being there.

Eventually, her crying slowed and she felt tired. She hid her face into his shoulder once more and fell asleep.

"Mitch? It's late and we probably should be getting back...Mitch?"

Without another word, and without a smile, he picked her up and carried her to the limo.


	35. How He Really Feels?

"Jase!"

Shane quited down as he realized that she was once again asleep.

"Jason, I didn't mean it to come out the way it sounded."

Jason sighed heavily and handed his sister off to the youngest band member, who took her back to one of the bedrooms.

"Maybe you should tell _her_ that, Shane. Because right now, she thinks that you don't care about her at all."

"That's not true!"

"Then prove it to her."

He moved to sit on the couch, still shaken over her confession.

"Jase? What's wrong? What happened?"

He sat down beside his older friend, his eyes full of concern. For the second time that day, he was the kid who forgot about the fame for two seconds.

"Jason? Talk to me, man."

Normally, he would talk to Nate about this sort of thing, but Nate was busy talking to his sister.

"Mitchie was in the car."

"What? What do you mean?"

"The car accident that killed my parents? _Mitchie_ was in the backseat. I could have lost her too, Shane."

"Jase..."

"Don't you dare say that you know how I feel, because the truth is, you don't. And I pray you never have too. Because right now, it's even worse than losing my parents. It's like losing them all over again."

"Jason..." Shane shook his head. "Mitchie survived for a reason...Why haven't you talked to us, me, Nate, Caitlyn, Hayley, or even Mitchie about the way that you're feeling? You've been so busy trying to make everyone else happy, that you haven't let yourself grieve."

"What the _fuck_ do you want me to say?!" Jason hissed, standing up and brushing past him. "What the fuck am I _supposed_ to say, Shane? That I had the _perfect_ relationship with my parents? Newsflash. They kicked me out of their lives, and even if what Mitchie said was true, they _never_ called! God, the only kid they ever wanted was _Mitchie,_ my _perfect little sister._ And yet, the got _stuck_ with a _fucked up_ son who doesn't know a fucking _thing_ about how to take care of a sixteen year old kid. You wanna know the truth? At first, I wasn't sure if I _wanted_ Mitchie. I didn't know if I wanted her to be apart of my world. But now she is, and I don't know what the _fuck_ I'm doing. I honestly wonder sometimes if she would have been better off in a foster home."

Shaking, he shot a glance at his younger band mate and suddenly went pale. Shane's eyes were locked into Mitchie's, who stood there with no expression on her face.

"So that's how you really feel?" She whispered, heading towards the door. "Well thank you for taking forever to finally say it, Jason."

"Mitch..."

"No." Mitchie cut him off. "I mean it, thank you. Because at least now, maybe someone will actually want me living with them."

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres." Jason barked, his authority taking over. "Where do you think you're going?"

"As far away from you as possible."

With tears streaming down her face, she slammed the hotel door behind her and walked away, despite her brother calling her name.

"_Michelle_-"

He was cut off by Shane yanking hard on his jacket. "I'll go find her. Stay here, Jase and cool off. I think you guys are going to have a lot to talk about when I get back."

Before he could protest any further, Shane too, had slammed the door. So instead, he turned to Nate.

"Jason..."

Nate was never one for too much PDA with his band mates, Jason's random group hugs included. But his friend needed him, and he would never let him down.

"Jase," He muttered, wrapping his arms around the older boy. "Let it out, man. You've been holding onto this for too long."

Jason let out a shaky breath, tears streamed down his cheeks. "I didn't mean what I said...I was just so angry...I love her, man. More than anything."

"I know," Nate promised him. "It's all going to be okay."


	36. Always Someday

"Mitch,"

That was all he had to say, just her name, and she was in his arms, her own encircling his waist.

"You're freezing, Mitch." Shane muttered, tightening his grip on her. "Geez."

"It's the end of September, Shay." Mitchie reminded him. "Everyone's cold."

Eventually, he pulled away to look at her, shaking off his leather jacket in the process and wrapping it around her shoulders. "There. Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

She hadn't been able to get far, she had walked for fifteen minutes before getting tired. They were completely alone, and he felt comfortable enough to keep his arm around her. Part of it was to ensure that she wouldn't be running away again, the other just because he wanted to hold her.

"So that was incredibly stupid." Shane told her, shaking his head. "What were you thinking, Mitch? Are you trying to give one of us a heart attack?"

"I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I just couldn't take it...Is that really what my brother thinks of me? _Really_, Shay?"

"Mitchie." He scolded, pulling her in for another hug. "No. Of course not. Jason was just upset...and I think I might have contributed to it by telling him that he'd been holding everything in for too long."

"So I'm not screwing anything up for him?"

"Of course not." Shane whispered, kissing her forehead, twice. "God, Mitch, if anything, you've made Jason into the guy I always knew he could be; the guy I've always wanted to be. The type of guy that has someone he would do anything for."

"_You_ want to be like Jason?"

"Of course I do. I mean, the bad boy image is okay, I guess, but it's not _everything_. I'm not the bad guy. But again, Jason has _you_. You're the luckiest person alive if you have someone you'd do anything for."

Mitchie glanced up at him."Thank you."

"You're welcome." He laughed and they started walking again. "Umm, Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

Shane sighed. Apologies were one thing he wasn't good at. "About how I acted earlier...I didn't mean it. This month has been one of the best months of my life, and..."

"Shane?" Mitchie smiled slightly, elbowing him. "What is it? You know you can tell me,"

He sighed, unsure of how to put what he was about to admit. He glanced down at her and smiled. "You're the one person _I_ would do anything for."

He wasn't sure how it happened, he wasn't sure if Mitchie made the first move, or if it was he himself.

But he was kissing Jason's_ sixteen year old sister_.

_Very_ bad idea.

"I..." Mitchie seemed to regain control of herself and she pulled away, her cheeks almost burning with embarrassment. "_That_ wasn't supposed to happen."

Shane nodded, reluctantly, in agreement. "It _can't_ happen. Unless, of course, you wanted to take my place as lead singer of Connect 3 while millions of fans search for my body, which they will never find, because believe it or not. Jason can actually be a genius."

She laughed, dropping down onto the damp grass. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit beside her.

"Please don't tell Jason." She begged.

He looked at her gravely. "I don't have a death wish, Mitch. But...Can I ask you a question? Just one, I promise."

"Sure," Mitchie nodded. "But it's only fair that I get to ask you one in return?"

He had a feeling about what she would ask him. And it would kill him to break her heart.

"Do you like me?"

"I didn't _mean_ too," She muttered, playing with bits of grass. "But yeah..."

"Oh,"

"Oh?" Mitchie nudged him, teasingly. She was smiling, despite the fact that he now knew her true feelings. It was scary, to admit this to him. Her hands were shaking, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"I guess you know my question then, huh?"

"Mitchie," Shane muttered, grabbing her hands. "What I said earlier was true. You and I have such a strong friendship, and I never want to lose that. And that's why we can't be..."

"_More_ than friends?" She finished. "I get it, Shane. I totally get it. We'll always be friends, right?"

"Of course we will," He said honestly, leaning in to kiss her one last time. "You're my best friend, Mitch. Nothing could ever change that."

Shane was lying, not to her knowledge, but he was. It was killing him inside not to tell her that he loved her, that he needed her.

But he couldn't go there, not now,

There was always someday.


	37. The Burning Secrets

"Jason," Mitchie called, running into his open arms. Almost an hour had passed since she had run out, and he hadn't stopped pacing ever since.

"Mitch," He muttered, relief clear in his voice as he closed them around her. "God, Mitchie. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I know." She muttered. "I know, Jase. I think we both said a lot of things we didn't mean. Can we make a deal? Any time we need to talk, we just can? No more hiding the things we feel?"

"Deal." Jason whispered, and if it was possible, he held her even closer. "I love you so much, Mitch."

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres!" A lighter voice called, from one of the bedrooms. She didn't even have to ask.

"I guess this is a bad time to mention that Caitlyn's here...Isn't it?" Nate asked, shooting her an apologetic glance. Mitchie sighed and unwound her arms from her brother to face her best friend.

"Cait..."

"Are you that stupid?!" Caitlyn hissed, grabbing her up in a hug. "God! You had me worried sick!"

"I...Umm..." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Cait."

She pulled away, only to hug her again. "As long as you're okay. Are you okay?"

"Yes!"

* * *

"So," Caitlyn said later, she had gone down to the lobby, waiting for him to get back from his run. "Did you kiss her?"

Shane turned around, startled to see her standing there. "Shouldn't you be upstairs, Caitlyn? Like where I told you to stay?"

"I couldn't talk to you about this with Jason in the room," She replied, crossing her arms. "Unless you have a death wish, Shaney. So, did you?"

"Did I what, Cait? What are you going on about, now?"

"Kiss her," Caitlyn rolled her eyes. He had always been good at avoiding questions that he didn't want to answer. "Mitchie, Jason's little sister, and _my_ best friend. _Did_ you?"

"No. Of course not."

"You're a horrible liar."

"Caitlyn, can we not do this here?" Shane asked, suddenly growing nervous. They were being noticed. "Look. Let's just forget-"

"Fine." She shrugged, turning to go back to the elevator. "I guess I'll just go ask _Mitchie_. _Upstairs_."

"Alright!" He grabbed her arm, swinging her back around.

"_Yes_." He whispered. "Yes. I kissed her, she kissed me, _whatever_! But you can not tell _anyone_, Cait! Especially not Jason! I don't want to die!"

As happy as she seemed to be that he had finally kissed her best friend, Caitlyn smacked him. _Hard_.

"Do you have a death wish?!" She hissed, smacking him again. "Jason is gonna kill you!"

"Which is exactly why we agreed never to speak of it again! Please, Caitlyn. You of all people know how hard it is to hide a relationship from the public."

"What does he mean by that?" They heard a voice behind them ask. Simultaneously, they turned to see Mitchie with her hands on her hips, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Shane and Caitlyn sighed, sharing a look. She was their friend, and she deserved to know.

"Mitch." She sighed again. "Drew wasn't my first boyfriend..._Nate_ was."

* * *

Luckily, Jason and Nate were way too into their video games to notice the look of shock that seemed to be permanently glued to her face.

Not to mention that the eighteen year old was carrying her, thrown over his shoulder after she refused to move.

Shane put her down in the room the girls would be sharing before closing the door behind him.

"Say something." Caitlyn begged, dropping down onto her bed. "Please, Mitch. The silence is killing me."

"You." She said slowly, still trying to process the information she had just been given. "And Nate? Really?! You didn't tell anyone? How did they not figure it out?"

"Nate's good at keeping things hidden."

The two girls remained silent for a moment before Caitlyn reached out and took her hand. "I meant what I said a while back. Nate is the only person who has ever made me feel safe."

And little known to them, he had heard every word she'd said.

* * *

"Hey." A quite voice greeted. It was almost three AM, and Nate being Nate, not being able to sleep, had gone down to the pool for some quiet.

"Hey, Cait." He said in the same tone. "Couldn't sleep, huh?"

"Nope." She muttered, coming to sit next to him on the deck chair. Out of habit, he stretched his arm out and wrapped it around her. "So, how much did you hear?"

"Enough." Nate admitted. "Cait. I didn't keep everything a secret to hurt you, you know that. Right?"

"I know, Nate."

They remained silent for a few minutes, watching the stars. Her head ended up on his shoulder, like it used to when they would try and stay up late.

"Is that why you broke up with me? For Drew?" He asked suddenly, regretting saying his name. But Caitlyn seemed not to notice.

"Kinda." She shrugged. "I meant what I said to Mitchie. When I was with you, I felt safe. But with Drew, I could hold my boyfriend's hand in public. I could get a kiss when I needed one, not three hours later. I could hug him without everyone getting suspicious. And the one time you held my hand in public..."

"The tabloids were all over it." He finished, pulling her closer. "I'm _so_ sorry Cait."

"You can't help who you are, Natie. And I know that."

"Would it have been so bad?" He asked aloud. "To have everyone asking questions, if it meant that we could hold hands and kiss, and hug. Would it have been so bad, Cait?"

"I dunno," Caitlyn said slowly, wondering the same thing herself. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"You know," Nate muttered. "We've got an interview tomorrow, which I'm sure you'll once again have to appear on. We could...Tell everyone the truth."

She looked at him, hopefully. "Really?"

"Really."

Caitlyn threw her arms around his neck, making him laugh as she did so with such force. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm tired of hiding, Nate. All of it."

"Me too, Cait." He reached down and squeezed her hand.

She got up, ready to head back inside. She waited for a second to see if he would follow, but gave up. She only turned when he called her.

"Cait?"

"Yeah?"

Nate's eyes were glued to the ground as he spoke, but he still spoke. "No matter what I hid, I did love you."

Caitlyn smiled slightly, silently thanking him.

"I loved you too."


	38. Jimmy Kimmel: Part 1

"Welcome to _Jimmy Kimmel Live_! It's always a pleasure to introduce our guests tonight, Connect 3 and two _very_ wonderful young ladies who are taking the country by storm! Mitchie Torres and Caitlyn Geller!"

"Hello," The five greeted together, laughing as they caught one another's eye. "Thank you for having us,"

"What a great show yesterday!"

"Thanks! You know, it's so fun to see so many dedicated fans, who always show up! Yesterday I saw some girls in the front row who was also on our very first concert. That they have now rounded 20, and still are loyal fans, is so appreciated!"

"What you tend to do when you're on set and working?" Jimmy asked, reading from the cards his producers had given him.

"We play some ping pong, and baseball." Nate said with a laugh. "Things that Mitch, over here, usually tries to avoid. She broke a window my wiffle ball the other day! How do you break a window with a wiffle ball?!"

"When you hit the ball hard enough." She answered bitterly, glaring at him. "They were really nice about it, though."

He had to pause, tears were streaming down his cheeks as he read the next question off to the youngest band member. "Who's best in ping-pong?"

"It's actually evenly between Jason and I. We played it all the time before, but now it's a while since the last time. We also eat a lot food when we have breaks. We just eat and eat."

"No comment." Shane warned Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"We weren't gonna say anything..."

"Huh. _Right_."

"What is the sickest fan episode you have experienced so far?"

"We've had to run from fans and some have even tried to sneak into our hotel room. But only because they are so dedicated, and we like that. "

"So, Caitlyn, Nate? I understand that there's something you wanted to tell us?"

The two eyed each other nervously, never missing the encourging nods from their best friends.

"I had my first boyfriend 14 or 15. We were young and didn't know how to act." Caitlyn began. "You don't think, Let's keep it super-private and low-key. You're thinking, Oh my God, we're holding hands! You would never want to hide something you're so happy about. I've learned a lot. You keep the things that are super-private to yourself. It s uncomfortable that everywhere I go, people know about it. I don't like that. I want somebody who can make me laugh and just be normal with me. I'm content and happy right now. Whatever happens, happens."

"You two _dated_?"

"We became boyfriend and girlfriend the day we met. He was on a quest to meet me, and he was like: _I think you're beautiful and I really like you._ And I was like: _Oh, my gosh, I like you so much_. Nate and I loved each other. We still do, but we were in love with each other. For two years he was basically my 24/7. But it was really hard to keep it from people. We were arguing a lot, and it really wasn't fun."

Nate sighed. Talking about his private relationship was something he hated doing, but it was for the girl he loved. The one person he would do anything for.

"I' was really disappointed in Caitlyn. I couldn't see the good in her taking the relationship public. We promised at the time that the relationship was just a thing between us and that nobody else should know about our love. But, fortunately I had my best friends, Shane and Jason They helped me deal with it. Caitlyn is a _very_ important person in my life, even though she's not my girlfriend anymore. We have something special and I don't want to lose it."

Everyone seemed to be in shock, how could they have kept their relationship such a secret?!

"For a while." She added, giving him an apologetic smile. "Our relationship was definitely damaged, because he wanted everything super private. When I opened up about it, he felt out of his comfort zone and our friendship became awkward. For a while, we were okay, but definitely just that."

"And is there any awkwardness, now? Now that you two are _just_ friends?"

"I try to be a good person and a good friend to people. That's something that's very important to me. I've known him for a really long time Nate is a _very_ good friend. He's a lovely guy, we're good friends and I enjoy his company. But I'm definitely single and enjoying being that."

Nate reached over, and without hesitation, took her hand in hs and squeezed it softly. "But now we're in a place where we realize that life is so short, and that when you have people in your life that love you so much, then you should just always be around them she has a great soul, she's talented, she's beautiful and she will always be really, really close to my heart."

Jimmy nodded, glancing down at his watch. "We'll be right back!"

* * *

"Thank you." Caitlyn whispered, as he led her offstage. Nate took one look and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'd do _anything_ for you, Cait. Even this."

"I'm proud of you," Jason told him, Shane and Mitchie flanked him. "I know it's not easy, but when you're ready, you're ready. And I am so proud of you guys."

"It's all about moving forward," Nate muttered. "Right?"

He and Caitlyn shared a look, one that only the two could know what it meant. She smiled.

"Right."

"Oh no." Shane and Mitchie cried in unison as Jason grabbed them.

"_Group_! _Hug_!"


	39. Jimmy Kimmel: Part 2

"Welcome back! So, Nate and Caitlyn. I think it really brave of you to come forward and talk about your relationship in front of your millions of fans."

"Thank you," The pair said together, shooting each other grins.

"So, how was the breakup?"

"At first I bawled for a month straight." Caitlyn admitted, grimacing at the memory. "I was so sad. I just went into this weird funk. And I dyed my hair black. When we were dating, Nate wanted me to get highlights; I did that, and I got myself looking great. And then, on the day we broke up, I was like, _I want to make my hair black now; I don't want to look pretty; I want to look hard-core._ I was rebelling against everything Nate wanted me to be. And then I was like, I've got to be by myself for now, and just figure out who I really am."

"And what does the future hold for you two?"

"We've definitely reconnected." Nate admitted, smiling at her again. "We don't know what's going to happen in the future, but right now we're just kind of kicking it and hanging out as much as we can."

Jimmy nodded, a genuine smile on his face. "That's wonderful, you two. I don't know any other sixteen year olds who could say that about their relationship, and stay friends afterwards."

"Nate and I _don't_ hate each other!" She blurted out. "It's important for the fans to know that! We really love each other. He's really cool and I'm happy we've been able to stay friends."

"So you're on tour, several weeks at a time, how does it work?"

Jason laughed. "Usually, it's pretty lonely being on tour, since you're so far away from family and friends. But this time we have family _and_ friends with us, so we can't complain."

"What's the best part about being back on the road again?"

"Just being able to be in front of the fans again and being able to interact and being able to make the music live. We worked so hard in the studio for the last year, year and a half, so to be able to be on stage performing those songs that we worked so hard for and seeing the response has just been incredible."

"What's the new album going to be like?" Jimmy asked, purely out of curiosity. His followers on twitter had been begging him to ask.

Shane thought for a moment. They couldn't give too much away. "We actually made it on a bus, on the road, with us. We changed out a bus and built in a recording studio and made 10 songs. We went back into a proper studio to make tweaks and finish up little things. That was really, really awesome. It's the same old Connect 3 sound, but I think we've explored deeper lyrical content and also deeper melodies and chord structures. We just wanted to expand our horizons. I just played a mandolin on this song the other day."

"Meaning," Mitchie held her hands up in an exaggerated explanation. "He _tried_. Shane can play guitar, but he's nowhere near ready to play the mandolin in public,"

He shot her a warning look.

"Why do you make it your personal vendetta to try and humilaite me on national TV?"

She shrugged. "Just for kicks?"

"You're gonna pay for this, later."

"We'll see,"

Jason raised an eye brow. "_Vendetta_? Word of the day again, Shane?"

Caitlyn sighed. "Do you even know what it means? Cause I don't think you used it correctly."

Shane crossed him arms. "Try me."

"_Vendetta_," Nate began, the walking dictionary. "_A blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family_."

"Whatever..."

"Is it safe to say new Connect 3 music will be released before the end of the year?"

"Yeah, I think before the end of the year definitely." Shane promised the fans. "We've got a couple opportunities this year concert-wise that we might do so you might hear it there!"

Jimmy turned to the younger version of the oldest band member, who for the most part, with reasons only known to herself, had been on her best behavior. "Mitchie? How have the Connect 3 boys been treating you?"

She laughed as she once again earned a warning look.

"They are _so_ easy to work with, and we just hangout and have fun." She managed to say, in between her giggles. She had said it once, and she would say it a million times.

"They're like my brothers and they are my best friends. They always make me laugh. They're still the sweet gentleman that pull out your chair and push it back in. It's easy to talk to them. They're normal guys, and that's what I love. They haven't changed at all."

"How could you describe your relationship with the boys?"

"Here we go again." Nate muttered, poking her cheek, and in the process, making her giggle again. "As if it will make up for everything else Michelle Elizabeth Torres has done to us."

"Jason is really caring. He can make people feel really, really welcome, he can make a total stranger feel like they're party of his family. Shane is hilarious, obviously. He's really, _really_ quick. You can just throw a situation at him and he can make it really funny. But at the same time, Shane and I have had some deep talks as well. He has a serious side to him that maybe you don't always see because he's always _funny Shane_, but there's definitely a lot of sides to him. Nate is the thinker. You'll say something to him and he'll take a minute and just state at you while he processes it, and you're like:..._All right, what's going through his head?_ That's why when he talks, you know it's something he really wants to say."

"Now, Nate. You know how hard it is to loose someone you cared about. So you and Nate are close?

"Nate is one of my best friends." Mitchie admitted, shooting him a small smile. "And he's just so sweet. I'm so lucky to have someone like that, he's just there for me."

"Was he there for you during your difficult time?"

"He was _always_ there for me."

Jimmy, instead of focusing on his audience, turned to the five young stars. "Thank you all, so much. And good luck with the rest of the tour!"

* * *

"So. We have a night off," Jason announced to the others. "What are we gonna do?"

"Can we go out?" Mitchie asked from her spot on the couch. "We haven't gone out in a long time, other than to get from place to place, and that really doesn't count, Jase."

He glanced at the others, who seemed to be very keen on her idea. He shrugged.

"Sure. Why not? We can go on a fast food run, and they walk around the city like toursits, or something."


	40. California Meets New Jersey

"Mitchie," Jason warned. "If you drop your ice cream, I'm not buying you another one."

"I'm not going to-"

She was cut off, as Nate's hand wrapped around her wrist and sent her spinning into the eighteen year old lead singer.

"..._Drop_ it." Mitchie finished, her cheeks growing redder by the second. It was Nate's fault, and he knew that, but his eyes were only on her.

"Five." Shane began, taking the napkin his cousin had offered him. He dropped it into the nearest trashcan, he took another step towards her. "Four..."

"Bye!"

They left the three to watch with amused grins as he took off after her, catching her in no time. His arms wrapped around her waist again and again, pulling her back each time she tried to run off.

"_Mitchie_?"

* * *

Mitchie stopped what she was doing, pushing him away all together in the process. Her eyes widened slightly, enough to make him come to wrap his arm around her shoulder as a sign of comfort.

"_Sierra_?" She asked in the same tone. She didn't shrug off his arm like Shane thought she might. If anything, she pulled him closer. "What are..."

"Visiting my aunt." The curly haired girl finished. She gave him a short, disapproving, glance. "So. Is this your boyfriend? I've seen every single interview. Look at you. Your parents die, and all of a sudden, you're some bigshot."

"Hey, guys." Caitlyn called, coming in at the end of her sentence. "What's going on here? Mitch? You okay?"

"So _you're_ the one," She laughed bitterly and turned to face her. "You're the new _best friend_ whose taken my place, aren't you. Look at all of your new friends, Mitchie. You're not a nobody anymore, are you? Is your brother's bank account paying for everything your parents _couldn't_ afford?

"Watch it." She warned, her jaw clenched. "You have _no_ idea what Mitchie's been through."

"Don't I?"

"Who are you?" Shane demanded. He reached out and seized the back of Caitlyn's jacket, to ensure she wouldn't do something that he would have to finish. "And why are you insulting my friend?"

She almost looked disappointed. "You didn't tell them anything, did you?"

"Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Sierra," She announced, holding out her hand, though no one reached out to take it. "Mitchie's_ best friend_."

* * *

"Why wouldn't Mitchie mention her?" Caitlyn demanded, five minutes after Nate and Shane had dragged her away. Jason had agreed to give his sister fifteen minutes.

"Mitchie hasn't talked about her old life at all, really." Nate reminded her. "Maybe she just wanted to forget, Cait."

"I'm not so sure." Shane muttered. He nudged the oldest band member. "I'm guessing that Sierra wasn't the best influence on Mitchie. Was she?"

"I don't know what went on between them for the last six years." Jason admitted. "But when they were kids, my mom only let Mitchie see her at school. She was pretty manipulative, even at ten years old."

* * *

"What are you doing here." Mitchie asked "Really."

"I missed my best friend," Sierra admitted, dropping down onto an empty bench. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

She sat down beside her, and for a few minutes, no one said a thing. Then, just as quickly as the silence had started, Mitchie ended it.

"I don't know if I _want_ that friendship anymore, Si. I don't know if I can handle it anymore."

"Mitch..."

"_No_!" She stood up and began pacing back and forth to try and keep warm. "The night my parents died, you couldn't come to the hospital because you were _so_ busy with your new friends. Do you even know..."

"Mitchie," The curly haired, New Jersey foreigner said again, reaching out to take her hand. She flinched as yanked her own away. "C'mon, Mitch. I _know_ I sucked that night, and I'm so sorry. But I'm here now, I promise."

"I don't need a friend _now_, Si." Mitchie muttered, shaking her head. "I needed a friend _then_, and right now, I need someone who I know I can depend on. And obviously, that wasn't you."

"What?" Sierra sneered. "That _Caitlyn_ girl? Cousin of your new boyfriend, Shane Gray? C'mon, Mitch! She's known you for what, a month? It's not long enough for you to be able to call her your best friend. We've been best friends for _sixteen years!"_

She laughed. She actually laughed.

"See," Mitchie began, a small smile on her face. "That's the difference between you and Caitlyn. She knows how to act like a friend."

Before either girl could say anything else, Caitlyn rounded the corner and grabbed her hand.

"Time's up," She announced with a smile. "C'mon, Mitch. We've got places to go and people to see. You ready?"

"Yeah," She nodded, turning around to give her old friend one last look. "Let's go, Cait."

She began to lead her away, but not before her best friend turned around and wiggled her fingers in Sierra's direction.

"Bye, New Jersey! It was _great_ meeting you!"


	41. The Forgotten Man

"This isn't good."

"What isn't?" Mitchie asked with a yawn. She walked into living room of their hotel suite, fresh out of bed.

When no one answered, she turned to stare them down. The four were glued to Caitlyn's laptop, which she never seemed to be without.

"Guys...?"

The three turned to look at Jason, deeming him the leader. He groaned and motioned for her to join them.

"You'd see this anyway," He muttered. "Eventually, one way or another. Sorry..."

Caitlyn was on the HotTunes website, they had been watching some interview clip. Done by Monica Edwards.

"Great." Mitchie hissed. "Just..._Great_. Play it, Cait, please. Before I change my mind and head for the hills."

_"Did Mitchie Torres, baby sister of heartthrob, Jason Green, ditch her best friend for the life of fame and fortune?"_

_"We talk to each other, but we talk to each other privately without other people knowing. That's something between she and I."_ Sierra told the camera with a sad smile.

Mitchie's eyes hardened as she saw what was around the New Jerseyian's neck.

The 'Best Friend' necklace they had saved up all their allowance money to buy in the second grade.

_"It's because of me. I mean, I haven't been in jail or anything, it's just that I've always tried to leave her the space that she needs and I respect her so much. That's why I've stayed away. My phone number and address hasn't changed, it's not hard to find me. I've been here forever."_

_"Did the 'Connect 3' sweetheart really scorn her BFF? Leave your comments below,"_

"I can't believe I was _ever_ friends with her."

That was all she would say, before she went and dropped down onto the couch, hiding her face behind a pillow.

"Mitch..." Shane drew out, sitting down next to her. He grabbed the over-stuffed cushion, preventing her from doing so. "Is there anything you wanna tell us?"

"There's a lot I _could_ tell you." She replied, bitterly. "I don't know what much of a difference it would make. I don't _want_ to be friends with Sierra anymore. I _can't_, Shay."

"Mitchie," Nate warned. "Don't shut us out. We're your friends, Mitch, if she wants to pick a fight with you, she'll be fighting all of us."

Mitchie sighed.

"You're right. You guys _are_ my friends: my _best_ friends...Alright..."

The four shared a look.

"Umm, Mitch? I'm not sure how we can help you if you won't say anything..."

"Oh right." She blushed. "I'm supposed to be talking. Umm...Where to start...Sierra can make me feel really important, when she wants too. But at the same time, if something better came along, she'd ditch me, very last minute. The night that mom and dad..."

Mitchie trailed off, shooting a glance at her brother who gave her a cold nod, his voice was tight as he spoke.

"It's alright, Mitch."

"We got into a fight," She started. "An hour before I was supposed to go out to dinner with my parents, she was in my bedroom, begging me to go out and party with this guy so she could hang out with his friend. I said no."

"She was trying to get you to go to a party?" Jason demanded angrily, Shane shot him a look and he sighed. "What other parts of your life don't I know about, Michelle?"

"Isn't everyone allowed a few mistakes?"

"Michelle."

"It's not like I got high more than once..."

"Michelle Elizabeth-"

"Joke!" Mitchie cried, throwing her hands up in a mix of frustration and surrender. "I've never even been drunk, Jase! It was a joke. Swear,"

"I have." Shane muttered. "It's not pretty..."

He trailed off as he caught the look in his older friend's eyes, and focused his attention back on her. "You were saying?"

"I called Sierra from the hospital that night. I needed someone. And she told me to figure it out for myself."

"_Bitch_."

Four pairs of startled eyes locked into her own, and she blushed. Caitlyn Geller hardly ever swore.

"Umm, I mean..." Caitlyn blushed again, causing her best friend to giggle. "No, you know what? I did mean to say _bitch_. Because that's _exactly_ what this chick is."

"Enough of that." Jason advised, patting her on the head. "So, Mitch. What do you wanna do about this?"

"I know what I'm gonna do," Mitchie responded, grabbing her cell phone. Despite everything Sierra had put her though, she was still her #1 on speed dial.

It rang six times, before going to voice mail. She didn't even bother to leave the room as she began her message.

"Si? Hey, it's Mitchie. Yeah, listen. I saw your interview...Is that the real reason you were in town last night? To get your five seconds of fame from Jason Green's little sister? Wanna do me a favor and delete my number? We're _done_, Si. And you know what? I may have only known Caitlyn for a month, but she's a better best friend than you ever were. I'm proud to call her my best friend. Have a _great_ life, Sierra, because you have officially lost me _forever_."

Mitchie hung up, her hands shaking as she turned to face her friends. No one dared to complain as Jason gathered all of them together for another group hug.

* * *

"I don't know why we haven't fired you, yet." Nate hissed before hanging up and slamming his phone down onto the table, he took care not to crack his IPhone screen.

"Bad news?" Mitchie asked, coming to stand behind him. He glanced up at her and offered a small smile, but it seemed forced.

"That was our agent." He admitted, grimacing. "Our _idiot_ agent, who I'm pretty sure I'm about to fire. He saw the report on HotTunes, and he scheduled an interview tomorrow so you can make a public reply to what the bi..._Sierra_ said."

"You've been hanging out with Caitlyn too much," She teased, ruffling his hair.

Nate groaned, shoving her hand away as lightly as he could, before he stood up and stretched. Mitchie couldn't miss the way he winced as he did so.

"Hey, Natie. Are you okay?"

"Fine. Why?"

"I dunno," She admitted, shrugging innocently. "You just seem kind of tired lately, kind of iritable...I'm worried about you."

"Don't be." Nate forced another smile at her. "Mitch, you're not the one who's supposed to be worrying about _me_. I'm supposed to be worried about _you_, remember? That's what a best friend is for."

"I know,"

But Mitchie couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't okay. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Mitch." He shook his head, laughing lightly at her concern. He crossed the room and gripped her shoulders before bringing her in for a hug. "I'm fine, alright? And if I wasn't, you'd be the _first_ to know."

She nodded, and for the moment, decided to let it go. Nate released her, smiled again, and walked back towards the bathroom.

As soon as he was sure that she, or any of the others for that matter, couldn't see him, Nate slid down the wall. He groaned as quietly as he could, his arms wrapped around his sides.

He didn't know what was wrong...And he didn't know if he wanted to find out.


	42. On The Air With Ryan Seacrest

"And we are on the air with Ryan Seacrest!" Jason greeted, almost screaming into his mic. The girls giggled.

They hadn't done a radio interview with the boys yet; they had _never_ done a radio interview.

"It's quiet in here," Mitchie remarked, giggling again as Ryan offered her a playful eye roll. From what she could tell, he was a cool guy who happened to like her brother and his friends.

"Sorry. I'm just not _use_ to quiet anymore."

"That's why I like doing the radio show," He joked. "All of my screaming fans can't interrupt. Any idea what the next single will be?

"We have ideas, but we're just really focused on _First Time_ right now. But we're playing a lot of the new songs on the tour, and we're starting to feel what may or may not be the next one."

Ryan nodded, a light smile on his face. "You guys often refuse to discuss your purity rings and avoid describing yourselves as a Christian band. Are they sick of being questioned about it?"

"Faith is a big part of everything we do and we were raised in the church," Nate admitted, shrugging.

"But as a band that's not our main focus," Jason added.

"You're Connect 3 as a _group_. What unique characteristics do you have individually?"

The youngest band member looked thoughtful. With a lot of interviews, came the same type of questions, but he always wanted to give a different answer.

"I think that we all genuinely love what we do. We're so blessed to have the opportunities that we have and for me personally, I think it's just the sense of appreciation for our fans, for our family and for each other."

"How do you keep up with your fans as they grow up?"

"I think we're comfortable enough in our own skin and our own growth to do it with our fans, to grow with them and it's been fun to be able to play these shows in some of our hometown places. We started in the east coast circuit playing small rock n' roll clubs. To see that the fans that were there then, are still there now and they've all gone off to college, I guess we would be too if we weren't doing this, but we're growing up and there's no need to rush it. We're enjoying what we're doing and we're seeing that it s working so far."

"Mitchie." Ryan turned to look at her. She was seated in between Nate and Caitlyn, both were gripping down on her hands underneath the table. "Recently, a friend of yours spoke to Monica Edwards from HotTunes, saying that you ended your friendship with her for no reason. Is there more to it than that?"

"A friendship has to work two ways." Mitchie began. She didn't even bother trying to hide the spite in her voice. "I believe in second chances, but I don't believe in third or fourth chances. I love talking through things, and I always want to make things work, if I really love someone, but eventually, if they can't fix whatever is wrong, or if they've done something and then they continue to do it, they're probably not going to change for anybody. You can't change a person."

He nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile as he had to continue. "Is your relationship with Caitlyn different than your friendship with Sierra?"

"Sierra and I are very strong-headed, so when we'd fight, it would be brutal and we'd be like, 'We're never going to be friends again!' Then two days later, we'd be like, 'I love you and I miss you!" She sighed, shrugging innocently. "I just couldn't do it anymore. Caitlyn and I, we never fight. She's not a confrontational person at all. She will never leave my life no matter what happens, because we've been through so much together."

"Caitlyn?"

Caitlyn smiled and squeezed her hand. Shane offered her an encouraging smile.

"She goes into my darkest place, and my lightest most wonderful memories." She said simply, exchanging a knowing smile with her best friend. "There's nothing like her and there's nothing like us. I'll always cherish her, she's like my sister. I'm very, very proud of her. I'm very lucky to have someone like her in my life."

* * *

There was a commercial break; everyone was out in the hallway, laughing at something Jason must have said.

"Hey. Nate," Shane called, his laughter stopped abruptly. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah," Came his short reply. He was sitting in a chair, his head leaning up against the wall.

"You don't _look_ so good." Caitlyn mused, reaching out to brush her hand across his forehead.

His fingers wrapped around her wrist before she could. As gently as he could, he shoved her arm away and groaned.

"Guys. I'm _fine_. Can you please stop asking me that?"

Nate stood up, his intent to go and get a glass of water before they were back on the air. Jason stopped him, he grabbed one of his belt loops and pulled it up.

"Didn't you just buy these last week?"

"Yeah?" He asked impatiently. He just wanted his water. "So?"

"So. Didn't they _fit_ a week ago? Have you been losing weight?"

"I dunno. Maybe? Who cares, Jase? Look. I just want-"

"You guys ready?" Dennis called, poking his head around the corner. "We're on in ten."

"I'm taking you to the doctor after this," Jason warned as they ran to try and keep up. "I'm not the only one worried about you, Nathan."

"Thanks for the concern." Nate muttered, his words dripping with sarcasm. "But I'm _fine_, Jason. No doctor necessary."

* * *

"So, Caitlyn. Apparently you and Sierra are feuding?"

She actually laughed, Jason and Shane joining in. Mitchie and Nate remained quiet.

"Dealing with the press is something that you've gotta start getting used to. And you know people want something to talk about, so they're going to have the two girls, or _three_ girls kind of feuding." Caitlyn explained, making a face as she did so.

Sierra would _not_ be manipulating Mitchie again, not if she had anything to say about it.

She continued. "There's no feud there's nothing to feud about, so why start a fight? It's something that we all have to live with, and unfortunately it involves friends. I'm not interested in being anybody but myself, and I'm not here to replace anyone. There is no feud. No matter what the press says, there's nothing going on. Life is very hectic, but I feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world. And I love every single thing that I'm doing. Yes, at times it is a lot, but it's a lot of what I love."

* * *

It was as they were leaving, did Nate begin to stagger.

He tried to make a joke out of it, saying that maybe Ryan, or Dennis had passed him something stronger that water.

But no one was laughing, and it was Mitchie who caught him as he staggered again.

She wasn't strong enough to hold him as he pitched forward and blacked out.

"Nate?!"

Jason was at her side in an instant, moving her away as gently as he could.

"Nate? C'mon, buddy. Wake up!"

He began to feel for a pulse, shouting for Caitlyn to go get help as he did so. Shane was on the phone with 911 already.

"Please, hurry! My friend won't wake up! This is an emergency!"

His arms came to wrap around the fragile brunet before she too, could collapse. Shane's arms tightened as her hands began to shake.

He turned her face into his chest so she didn't have to see anymore.

"It's okay, Mitch. He's gonna be fine." He whispered as his fingers worked through her hair. He didn't know if he believe in what he was saying.

"He's gonna be fine."


	43. As Okay As Okay Can Be

They didn't move.

They had taken up refuge on the smallest couch in the waiting room. They would rather have felt squished than spread out to have their own seat.

Shane was in between the two girls, his arms around them. Mitchie's arms encircled his waist, one hand was grasped up in Caitlyn's.

Jason, being the oldest, had gone to sit with his Nate until his father could get there. He had arrived half an hour ago, but Jason had yet to come out.

Mitchie felt tired, but she didn't dare try to fall and fall asleep. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

She wanted to see Nate.

The dried tears circling her eyes were of no help.

Caitlyn, too, had been crying on and off ever since Nate had collapsed. Ryan, thankfully, somehow managed to keep the press away.

The doors opened, and as they had done every other time, sprang up from their seats.

Luckily, this time it _was_ Jason. His expression was unreadable as he pulled his sister into his arms before sitting back down on the couch. Shane and Caitlyn were quick to join him.

"He's okay," He began. "He's stabilized, and he's not in any pain. In fact, with the drugs they gave him, he's pretty happy with himself."

"What happened, Jase?" Shane wondered, his hand somehow find Mitchie's again, and she held onto his with everything she had. "Is he gonna be okay?"

Jason sighed and ran a hand through his short curls. "Guys..."

"Oh my god..." Mitchie managed to say, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, "Jase?"

"They did a blood test; the doctor thought he might know what was going on with Nate, and he was right."

Caitlyn was tired of the suspense. "What's wrong with Nate, Jason?!"

"He has Type 1 Diabetes." He announced, the word feeling more heavy on his tongue each time he said it. "I don't know how to explain it...I just know that he needs to be here for a few more days, so he can learn how to deal with it. We'll have to refund a few concerts, but Nate is more important than any of that.

"I want to see him."

* * *

While the others went down to the cafeteria, Mitchie blindly made her way for room 121.

At first, she thought he was asleep, his eyes were closed, and he had about six different pillows.

He had three different IV's, and that scared her even more.

His free hand in the one she took, dropping down in the chair beside his bed as she did so. It was only as a few more tears escaped, did his hand squeeze hers.

"Mitch?" He asked groggily, cracking an eye lid. "Hey. What time is it?"

"Nate!" She breathed, throwing her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're okay! I really thought I was going to lose you."

Nate laughed lightly and rubbed her back with his left hand. "As if I could ever leave you, Mitch. Caitlyn, too, for that matter,."

"Are you okay?"

He stopped smiling and looked down. "Am I _supposed_ to answer that honestly?"

"Only if you want too."

"My body can't produce insulin." Nate muttered, as if he had said the words a million times. "I have this..._patch_ on my side right now. And apparently, I'm going on a diet. Joy."

"Natie." Mitchie scolded. "It's alright to be scared."

"I'm not scared." He said simply. "I just wanna get the hell out of here."

* * *

"Nate, I..." A voice trailed off as Carson Black walked back into his son's room, fifteen minutes later.

Nate looked up at him and laughed silently, rubbing her back once again.

Mitchie had finally caved, and fallen asleep, her head on his chest, as she leaned over. He had been careful not to wake her.

"Dad, you said you wanted to meet Mitchie," He joked.

"Wow," Carson chuckled. "You weren't joking when you said she falls asleep everywhere. So, this is the girl I've heard so many wonderful things about?"

"Sure is," Nate muttered proudly. "It'd be better if she was awake, but this is she. I've never met anyone quite like her, dad. She's the best friend anyone could ever ask for,"

"That, I can believe."

"Mitch..." Shane trailed off, poking his head into the room. He offered Nate a gentle smile before sticking his hand out to shake Carson's. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Black,"

"Shane." Carson said, disapprovingly. "How long have we known each other? I wish you would call me Carson."

"Maybe someday." Nate mumbled, earning a warning look from both his father and friend. "Where's the others?"

"Jason and Cait are in the car. We'll be back first thing in the morning...Which is why I came in here. I kind of need your young friend, over there."

Despite how loudly he was talking, her eyes remained closed.

And despite every thought running through his head, he maintained his sense of humor. "Sorry, Gray. You can't have her."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Carson?" He asked, holding out his hand once again. "Nate, is there anything you need from the hotel?"

"Actual clothes?"

"Done."

"Shane." Carson shook his hand. "I've got to say, I'm very impressed with the recent change in your behavior. Anything I need to know about?"

He couldn't help but notice the two boys glance down at their friend before sharing a smile.

"Maybe," Shane replied, crossing the room and lifting her into his arms. "I think there's something more to it than just luck."

* * *

"You." He muttered as he carried her down the hallway. "Are the worst fake sleeper I have ever seen."

"Nate didn't seem to notice." She giggled, cracking an eye lid. "For the record, I was sleeping for the first half an hour. Am I the reason you've been in such a good mood?"

"Someone has big ears." He sighed and stopped walking. "Why am I carrying you?"

"Because." Mitchie replied with a smile, her eyes closed again. "I'm asleep, remember?"

And seconds later, she really was. Shane rolled his eyes and started towards the door, only to stop again.

He let out a long, held in breath and nodded.

"You are the reason, Miss. Michelle."


	44. I'll Be Okay As Long As I'm With You

"Natie," The girls sang as they walked into his room.

"Guys," He muttered, disapprovingly. "I said I wanted a _change_ of clothes, not my entire closet."

"These aren't all _clothes_," Caitlyn replied, crinkling her nose. He laughed, making her smile all the same. "Hi, Natie."

"Hey, Cait." Nate said back. He squeezed her hand before turning to his best friend, his eyes widened with mock-horror. "Alright, Michelle. _What_ did you do?"

"Clothes," Mitchie announced, dropping the duffle bag onto the end of the bed. "Your favorites,"

"And we know how bored you are," She handed him the second bag. "And we thought, maybe you were having song writing withdrawals, so we brought you your notebook."

"This is why I love you two," Nate grinned, reaching for it. "Let's do it."

* * *

"That was amazing, Nate." She said, half an hour later. The song was halfway to being finished, the lyrics on paper, and the music already in his head. "Do you wanna get some sleep? Cait, maybe we should..."

"Wait." Nate's hand shot out, wrapping around the curly haired girl's wrist. "Not yet. Mitch, you brought a guitar, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Can I see it?"

Mitchie handed it over, before standing up and stretching. "I'm hungry. Do you guys want anything from the cafeteria?"

"Chocolate," They responded in unison, grinning at each other.

"And lots of it," Caitlyn commanded, moving to take her best friend's place. "Thanks, Mitch."

"So, Caitlyn,"

"So, Natelyn,"

Nate laughed and adjusted to hold the instrument as best as one could while lying in a hospital bed. "You know, that was our couple name."

"Natelyn?"

"_Naitlyn_," He corrected, letting out another chuckle. "It's kinda dorky, I know. But I like it better than some of them. Smitchie and Jayley are okay too...Why are you staring at me like that?"

Caitlyn blushed. "Why does it have to be Naitlyn? Why couldn't it have been like..._Cate_, or something?"

"Nope. It has to be _Naitlyn_."

"But _whyyyyy_?!"

"Because I'm the one lying in the hospital bed right now." He muttered, not expecting her expression to change so quickly.

"Cait." Nate pleaded, he reached out and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Caitlyn! It was just a joke!"

"It wasn't very funny." She scolded. "God, Nate. Could you just maybe react to this even a little bit?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"That you're angry! Or scared, or confused! Stop acting like everything's a-okay in your life when you know it's not!"

"Caitlyn." He waited until she was done, before pulling her to her feet. He made room on the bed, and despite her protests, sat her down next to him before wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Do you wanna tell me what's going through your head, cause I'm not much for guessing games right now. Did you talk to Mitchie?"

"Of course I did."

"And...?"

"And..." She sighed and leaned into him, her head falling familiarly onto his shoulder, his arm around her tightened. "We're worried about you. I'm worried about you, Nate. If you're holding any of your feelings in...It's not healthy."

Nate sighed too. "Truth?"

"Truth."

"I'm _really_ scared, Cait. How is this going to affect the band, and my life, and you guys, and my dad, and-"

Her hand was quick to come and cover his mouth. "And now, as your friend, I'm here to tell you that you're going to be okay, Natie. Whatever happens, today, tomorrow, anytime, you're going to be okay,"

They sat together, enjoying their moment of alone time. All too soon, Caitlyn pulled away in favor of the chair/

"So. Why did you want the guitar, exactly?"

He laughed. "I wrote a song."

"Yeah...I know, Natie. You might be a little hipped up on meds, but I was _in_ the room, remember? Mitchie was too,"

"No," Nate rolled his eyes. "I wrote _another_ song, Caitlyn. Last night, when I couldn't sleep. When I can't sleep, I write. And I was kind of inspired, after what we told the entire world a few days ago."

"Oh..." Caitlyn blushed, wondering what, exactly, it could be about. "Well...Can I hear it?"

He told her that it was a duet, and that he wanted her honest opinion. And then, he began to play.

When he finished, she was in tears

"It could use a little work," He said simply, leaning the guitar against the wall. "When I get outta here, that's the first thing we'll do, right?"

"Right,"

Her phone buzzed, a text from Shane asking her to grab Mitchie, that he and Jason were waiting for them out by the car.

She passed the message along to Nate, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. As she stood up, his hand wrapped around her wrist for the third time.

He pulled her back down and cupped her cheek, pressing his lips to hers in an almost forceful way. It took a moment for her to regertire what was happening, but Caitlyn kissed him back.

"Wow..."

"Wow is right," Caitlyn muttered. She sat down on the bed and threw her arms around his neck.

As they kissed, they were once again lost in the world around them. They didn't even notice their shared best friend, leaning against the doorway.

"About time." Mitchie muttered to herself as a small smile graced her lips. If any two people deserved to be happy and to be with each other, it was Nate and Caitlyn.


	45. If You Love Me

"Nate!"

Despite the fact that he was carrying everything they had brought him the last few days, Caitlyn and Mitchie threw themselves at him. Their arms locked around his waist, and he laughed, hugging them back just as tightly.

"Welcome back, man." Shane and Jason greeted, offering him a hand shake, which turned into a bro hug.

"You ready?" Jason asked, taking one of the bags.

"And by _home_," Shane admitted, shooting all of them an apologetic glance. "He means the _tour bus_. Although, we _do_ have a surprise."

"Yeah?" Nate raised an eye brow, looking down at the two girls. If he wanted to know something, they were the best source of information.

"Don't even think about it Geller." He warned. "You, either, Torres. Or I'll make you regret it."

The two girls sighed, before shrugging innocently at their friend.

"Sorry, Natie." Mitchie mumbled, hanging onto him. "You'll just have to wait another thirty seconds."

He readjusted the weight of his backpack before throwing his arms around both girls. His left arm was curled around Caitlyn's waist.

They had kissed, and he didn't know where it left them. But she didn't pull away as he held her even closer.

His right arm was around Mitchie's shoulder, in the way only a best friend could. She laughed and leaned against him, feeling more content than she had in weeks.

They got on the bus as quickly as they could, Jason leading the way by mere seconds. He set Nate's bags down on his bunk, and then, like the others, turned to see if he noticed anything.

Mitchie looked at him eagerly.

"I...Don't get it." Nate admitted, looking around. Nothing appeared to have changed. "Is there something I should be aware of?"

They all seemed to let out an exaggerated sigh before the girls moved to sit on one of the bunks that had been kept empty.

Until now.

There was a neon green comforter spread across it.

The color was something _only_ Caitlyn Geller would love.

Nate looked down at it, before slowly looking back up to meet her eyes.

"You have a _bunk_ on the _bus_..."

"I have a _bunk_ on the _bus_!"

"Does this mean..."

"Caitlyn's gonna be staying with us for a while," Shane announced, throwing his arm around her shoulder. "I'm not exactly sure why she's suddenly fascinated with tour life, but she is. So for now, she's here to stay."

She smiled at him shyly, her eyes never leaving his as she crossed to where he was standing.

"Really?" Nate muttered.

"Really."

He reached out and stroked her cheek, moving the stray curls out of her eyes. Then, in front of their friends, he kissed her.

Shane let out a long sigh, breaking them apart.

"_Caitlyn Margret Marie Geller_..." He shook his head, a look of confusion written all over his face. "What...Are you sure about this?"

"Nothing's set and stone." Caitlyn replied, reaching down and lacing her fingers through his. "I'm not sure about anything, Shanie."

"I don't think we're ready to put a label on anything," Nate announced, pressing his lips to her forehead. "But I do love you, Cait"

"I love you too, Natie,"

They went in for another kiss, only to be broken apart by Mitchie's gagging. "Okay, guys. Seriously. Stop it, _please_."

* * *

While Jason took a nap, and Caitlyn and Nate were in the back of the bus, doing god knows what, Shane went to find Mitchie.

It wasn't hard; she was sitting on one of the leather couches, her songbook in hand. She didn't look focused, and he wondered if it was because Nate wasn't there to write with her.

"Hey,"

"Hi," She greeted, moving so he could sit down. "What's up?"

"Alright," Shane admitted, stretching his arm out to fall over her shoulder. "So. Whatcha thinking about, Mitch?"

"Nothing...Why?"

"You suck at lying." He replied, flicking her cheek. "Is it Nate and Caitlyn?"

"Yeah..." Mitchie sighed and leaned back into him. "Is this weird to you, at all? Three days ago, they were talking about their _break up_, and now they're _back_ _together_?"

"I don't think they really know what they're doing, Mitch. So, what else are you thinking about?"

"You're not freaking out."

"Nate's my friend," Shane said simply. "I trust him, I know where he lives. And besides, I think he's good for Caitlyn. He would never hurt her."

"And what would Jason say?"

"I don't think he really has a say. Caitlyn's my cousin, and I'm responsible for her..." He trailed off. "Oh..."

She looked up at him, in her innocent way. It made him regret...

"Mitch," Shane frowned. "I thought we weren't going to do this."

"I can't just forget about it, Shane." Mitchie pulled back to look him in the eye, crossing her arms as she did so. "Just tell me why, and I'll leave it alone for good. Please, Shay. Just tell me why,"

"Mitchie..."

"Please."

Shane pulled his arm back. "Because, Mitch. I'm not the good guy, alright? You deserve a lot more than what I could give you."

She looked at him blankly for a second before nodding.

"Okay," Mitchie said finally. "Okay...Thank you, Shay. I promise I'll never bring it up again. I just...I needed to know."

She walked away, most likely headed towards her bunk. It took everything Shane had not to grab her arm and pull her back.

Because if there was one thing Shane wanted...

It was to be with Mitchie Torres.


	46. Live With Kelly and Michael!

"Welcome to _Live With Kelly and Michael!"_

Girls, who had camped out overnight, rose to their feet. Some even went as far as to whistle; they didn't know why the last minuet interview with Connect 3 had been scheduled, but it was a welcome surprise.

Nate was sitting in the middle, Caitlyn and Mitchie flanking him, followed by Shane and Jason.

"Hi," He greeted the fans, more quietly than usual. It was clear that today, he would be in control.

"I understand you have some...news for us," Kelly Ripa asked, she smoothed her hair back nervously. She had no idea how fans would take to the news.

"It's alright, Natie," Mitchie whispered, reaching out to slip her hand into his.

Nate squeezed her hand and held on, his eyes never left Caitlyn's.

"I have..." The words still felt heavy on his tongue. "Type 1 Diabetes."

Despite a few gasps from the fangirls, the room was suddenly, and for once, silent. He let out a long, held in breath.

"I had an emotional breakdown since I really had _no_ idea what diabetes was all about." He continued, earning encouraging nods from his friends. I wondered: _why me?_ Then I asked myself: _why not me?_ I realized that I might be able to help other kids with diabetes."

Michael nodded. "Do you notice a difference in your ability to perform when your blood sugar is very high or dropping low?"

"In the beginning, yeah. I had wild mood swings and couldn't drink enough water. But now I'm able to check my blood sugar before we go onstage, so I can manage it by using my Omni Pod."

"The device he wears that delivers insulin." Caitlyn told them, letting the words sink in.

"Is it hard to focus and do your best?" Kelly asked. She reached out to touch his shoulder. "Does is affect you?"

"I do get tired," Nate admitted grimly. "But our days are pretty jam-packed. Again, it's a question of regularly checking and managing my blood sugar."

"And how have your friends handled your diagnosis?"

He looked at his friends for a long moment, smiling for the first time that day. No one, not even their fans, would ever be able to truly understand how lucky he was to have them.

Shane was rubbing Mitchie's back with one hand, she looked over at him and smiled. Jason slipped his arm around Caitlyn's shoulder and squeezed, making her laugh.

He was still holding the sixteen year old's hand; she had yet to let go, and he was thankful for that.

Mitchie could read his mind.

"At first it was really hard on all of us because we didn't know how it would affect our daily lives. I actually asked my doctor if I could die. Fortunately, we were blessed to have great medical care and learned how to manage diabetes."

"Did they suspect diabetes before you were diagnosed?"

"One doctor did." Jason told them. "But he was 50/50 on it."

"_We_ couldn't figure out what was going on." Nate admitted, gesturing to the five. "But one simple blood test gave us the answer."

"Have you ever considered coming to a diabetes event like the Step Out to Fight Diabetes walk or Sugar Free Weekend Retreat or a camp?" Kelly looked at Michael and smiled. "I'm sure that so many of the kids with diabetes would be inspired by you and happy to meet you!"

"If I had time in my schedule I would love to. It's important to share that it's a condition you can live with."

Nate realized that he could believe the words he was saying. "There's nothing to be afraid of, and it can actually make you closer to your family and friends."

"Have you ever considered writing a song about diabetes?"

He laughed, already reaching out to grab his guitar. "There's a song that I wrote for our new album called _A Little Bit Longer_ that's all about my diabetes. But the lyrics could be interpreted as any difficult situation in life. Do you guys wanna hear it?"

The girls screamed for the first time; Mitchie looked at Caitlyn, and knew that she was thinking the same thing: Had the fangirls ever gone this long without screaming?!

Nate moved away from the others, and began to play.

_Got the news today doctor said I had to stay_  
_A little bit longer and I'll be fine_  
_When I thought it'd all been done_  
_When I thought it'd all been said_  
_A little bit longer and I'll be fine_

_But you don't know what you got until it's gone_  
_And you don't know what it's like to feel so low_  
_And every time you smile, you laugh, you glow_  
_You don't even know, know, know_  
_You don't even know_

_All this time goes by, still no reason why_  
_A little bit longer and I'll be fine_  
_Waiting on a cure but none of them are sure_  
_A little bit longer and I'll be fine_

_But you don't know what you got until it's gone_  
_And you don't know what it's like to feel so low_  
_And every time you smile, you laugh, you glow_  
_You don't even know, know, know_  
_You don't even know, know, know_  
_You don't even know, know, know_

_But you don't know what you got until it's gone_  
_And you don't know what it's like to feel so low, yeah_  
_And every time you smile, you laugh, you glow_  
_You don't even know, yeah, whoa, yeah_  
_You don't even know_

_So I'll wait 'til kingdom come_  
_All the highs and lows are gone_  
_A little bit longer and I'll be fine_  
_I'll be fine_

Michael and Kelly, along with Shane, Mitchie, Jason and Caitlyn, as well as the entire crowd, were on their feet.

"Nate! That was _amazing_!" Kelly gushed. "Thank you so much!"

"I still have diabetes and I'm probably going to have it for a while, unless there is a cure one day." Nate replied. "You know, it's something that I'm passionate about, and I want to speak out about it. I've seen the effects it has on young people. They feel alone with their everyday struggles with diabetes, and they just want to have that assurance that they can live out their dreams with diabetes."

"How are you handling yourself, with all of this, Nate? Are you still able to stay physically active?"

"I play a lot of sports, that's the main thing. Baseball is a big one. I think if I wasn't doing what I am today, I would be playing baseball. Ping pong on the road also keeps you somewhat active."

Michael nodded. "You talked about how your friends reacted. How are _you_ dealing with it?"

"It's about learning how to be prepared for it," Nate admitted, feeling her take hold of his hand again. "Every day is different, so you have to be prepared for every situation, and have the right tools, and keep the right people around you who know what to do in emergency situations."

"I think that was a _beautiful_ song, Nate." Kelly piped in. "A very real world experience."

"That's true." He replied, glancing over at his...He had no idea _what_ to call Caitlyn anymore.

"I think the best example of a song that came out of real life experiences would be _Before The Storm_ which is a song I'm with Caitlyn. And it was a really nice feeling to be able to kind of tell the story of our relationship."

Caitlyn nodded encouragingly.

"It was therapeutic for both of us. Not only to sit down at the piano and write a song together, which is something we've never done, after all the time we spent together, but to also talk about things that happened that frustrated both of us. I think the thing I learned about myself, was that, you know, in moments where she probably could have used me, I wasn't there. That's tough sometimes. I think the thing that makes my relationship with her, as friends now, and at times more...romantic, is that we learn not to take ourselves too seriously. We wrote our songs about it, we moved on. And now we're best friends, and that's what matters."

Everyone seemed to be focused on the sixteen year old, curly haired girl. She blushed.

"He played it for me the other day."

"I played it for Cait, and we realized that if we just changed the lyrics a bit, we could make it more of our story, kind of share that side of us, and it could be great. So, we did. She came in and she and I sat down at the piano and just worked on lyrics a bit, tweaked it up, and it turned out great."

Mitchie raised an eye brow. "Do we get to hear this song?"

Nate glanced at her. "How bout it, Cait?"

"Why not," She replied nervously. Being in the spotlight, had never been her thing,

And yet, she found herself taking his outstretched hand and following him back to center stage.

_No this isn't what I wanted_  
_Never thought it'd come this far_  
_Thinkin' back to where we started_  
_And how we lost all that we are_  
_We were young and times were easy_  
_But I could see it's not the same_  
_Standing here but you don't see me_  
_Give it all for that to change_  
_I don't want to lose her_  
_Don't want to let her go_  
_Standing out in the rain_  
_Need to know if it's over_  
_Cause I would leave you alone_  
_I'm flooded with all this pain_  
_Knowing that I'll never hold her_  
_Like I did before the storm_  
_Yeah-ah-ah_  
_Before the storm_  
_With every strike of lightning_  
_Comes a memory that lasts_  
_Not a word is left unspoken_  
_As the thunder starts to crash_  
_Maybe I should give up_  
_Standing out in the rain_  
_Need to know if it's over_  
_Cause I would leave you alone_  
_I'm flooded with all this pain_  
_Knowing that I'll never hold her_  
_Like I did before the storm_  
_I'm trying to keep the lights from going out_  
_And the clouds from ripping out my broken heart_  
_They always say a heart is not a home_  
_Without the one who gets you through the storm_  
_Standing out in the rain_  
_Knowing that it's really over_  
_Please don't leave me alone_  
_I'm flooded with all this pain_  
_Knowing that I'll never hold ya_  
_Like I did before the storm_  
_Yeah_  
_Like I did before the storm_

Nate laughed as she made a face. Later, he would get her to admit that she had actually had fun.

Much like he had when he'd performed with Mitchie, he held his arms out and wrapped them around her in a tight embrace.

"Two performances in one morning! Aren't they _fantastic_?!" Kelly, in her very energetic way, demanded from the crowd. The screams grew.

"So, Caitlyn." Michael asked, after they had rejoined the others. "Were you upset with the first version of the song?"

She laughed and gave Nate a sideways smile. "_Everyone_ has to write songs that are about things that they felt. So you can't ever hate on someone for writing about something you've been through. I think that you kind of get a fair warning when you date an artist and someone that's a writer. When you're going through things, you're going to end up hearing about it on the radio."

"Nate?"

He nodded. "I think she put it really well. She's absolutely right. It's all about being open and honest."

"And how is your relationship now?"

They looked at each other and smiled again.

"We'll be okay."


	47. Some Day You'll Be Okay

"I'm _so_ glad you're back."

Like every other time she had visited for the weekend, Jason became clingy the second his girlfriend walked through the door.

"Can't...Breathe," Hayley joked, kissing him again and again. "C'mon babe. Not in front of the kids."

He pretended to pout. "_You're_ the one who kissed _me_!"

"Mitchie!" She called, choosing to ignore him. She wrapped her arms around both of the girls. "Caitlyn! Hey, Junior Rock Stars! How's it going?"

"Hayley!" They sang in unison.

"Not to quote my brother," Mitchie released her death grip. "But I'm so glad you're back."

"Me too," She laughed and hugged her again. "And Miss. Caitlyn, I heard you'll be joining us on tour?"

Caitlyn looked up at Nate and smiled. "Maybe for a little while."

Shane was next to receive a hug, and then Hayley turned to Nate. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Better," He admitted, hugging her. "And thanks for the flowers. I don't think I've ever seen a guitar shaped bouquet before."

They laughed.

"Hey guys," Shane called, getting off his cell phone. "We've got it?"

"Got what?" Mitchie asked. She was the only one who looked confused, the others turned to look at Jason.

"The costume shop?" Nate asked, elbowing her. "For this weekend? The big party...Wait. You have no idea what I'm talking about...Do you?"

"No idea."

"Think about what this weekend is, Mitch."

"October..." She trailed off, her eyes widening. "I'll umm, be right back."

They heard one of the hotel room doors slam shut, and Jason let out a long sigh.

"What did I say?" Nate asked worriedly, looking around at all of them.

"Nothing, man." He promised, getting up to go after her. "It's just her first Halloween without mom and dad."

Shane held up a hand. "Do you mind if I talk to her?"

Jason blinked, surprised, but nodded just the same. "Sure...Go ahead."

* * *

"Mitch." He called, opening the door. He didn't bother to knock, in fear that she would tell him to go away.

She was lying on the bed, flipping through pictures on her phone. She held out her hand, and without looking up, she pulled him down to sit beside her.

"My mom," Mitchie managed to say; tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't brush them away. "My mom was amazing at making costumes. When I would go out with Sierra, she would already be planning the next year's costume. Last year, I was a sexy, but not _too_ sexy version of Little Red Riding Hood. This year, I was supposed to be Juliet."

"Mitch," He began to rub her back. "Are you...Are you okay."

"I don't know..." She admitted, finally looking up at him. "Last year, everything was...perfect. And now, I don't have my parents, I don't have my best friend..."

Shane didn't say anything, he wrapped his arms around her and held on. "Mitch. Shh. It's okay. You're going to be okay, Mitch."

"When?!" She demanded, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "Because Nate told me that someday it would get easier! It's not getting any easier, Shay! I just want all of this to be over. Just make it stop!"

"Mitch."

Her arms wound around his neck. "I don't know why terrible things happen to us. But this time, I don't know if I can believe that something good is going to come out of this."

"Mitchie," Shane muttered, pulling her onto his lap. "You're not going to be completely okay for a long time; I can't lie to you about that. You'll have days where you're going to feel whole, and then something is gonna happen that's gonna set you back. The important thing to remember, is that you still have people that love you, and who will always be there for you. Jason, Hayley, Caitlyn, Nate...Me. I love you, Mitch. You know that, right?"

"I know," She managed to say, pulling back slightly to look at him. He brushed the hair out of her face. "I know, Shay. I love you too."

Eventually, her tears dried, and she pulled back completely. "We should, maybe...Go back out there. Before the others get suspicious."

"Mitch," He called, stopping her. "Do you wanna..."

"Yeah?" She called, turning back around. Her hand was resting on the doorknob, she was ready to head back out at any time.

"You know," Shane continued. "Nate and Caitlyn are going together, and obviously, so are Jason and Hayles. I think that means, that...We should go together...?"

Mitchie laughed. "Are you asking me to go?"

"Will you go to the party with me, Mitch?"

"Why yes, Shane Gray, I will." She laughed again and took his outstretched arm, leading the way back out to their friends.

Jason jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. "Are you okay, Mitch?"

Mitchie nodded, earning hugs from the remaining three. "I'm a lot better now."

"Mitch," Nate had his arm around Caitlyn. "Look. We could just stay in. We don't have to go-"

"Yes we do," She interrupted. "It'll be fun. I could really use a fun night, we all could."

She turned to smile at him. "And besides. I can't let my date down,"

Shane reached out and laced his fingers through her own. "I'd hope you wouldn't let me down, Michelle. I'd look like an idiot, dancing by myself."

Nate, Caitlyn, and Hayley were all watching Jason for his reaction. How badly would he...

"Besides us," Jason clarified, wrapping his arms around Hayley. "I think the four of you will be the cutest couples there. Although, Shane, you grind with my sister, you die."

"Understood," Shane offered his a mock salute, before squeezing her hand again. "I don't wanna die, Mitch."

"Nor do I want you dead." Mitchie shot Jason a warning look. He stuck his tongue out at her, making her giggle. "C'mon! Let's go shopping!"

She grabbed Hayley's hand, already reaching out for Caitlyn.

"Never thought I'd hear Mitchie say those words..." Caitlyn muttered as she was yanked out of the room. "Help!"

Nate laughed and ran after her. Shane and Jason chuckled as they heard 'The Twins' arguing over their shared girl. Hayley was trying to quiet them down.

"Shane." Jason called, stopping him before he could walk out the door. "Hey. Just...Take good care of her, alright?"


	48. Happy Halloween, Mitchie Torres

"So this is what teenage stars do on Halloween, huh?" She asked as Nate led the way inside.

As a joke, at first anyway, Nate had offered both of his arms to the sixteen year old's. His hands were shoved into the pocket of his tight jeans, borrowed from none other than his band mate, Shane Gray.

Nate was dressed as Danny Zuko, his hair was jelled back and he wore a black t-shirt, a leather jacket, and those skinny jeans.

Caitlyn was his Sandy, with a pair of black leather pants, a halter top and a pair of red wedges that her cousin had almost thrown a fit over.

Her hair was curled, after having been painfully rolled up into curlers the night before.

Jason and Hayley were dressed as Johnny and June Cash, one arm cradled a guitar while the other was around her waist.

"Hey, Nathan." Shane called, stopping the trio. He wrapped his arm around Mitchie and pulled her back into him. "Stop trying to steal my date, huh?"

"As beautiful as she is," Nate kissed her on the cheek. "I've got my own. See you guys in there,"

The two laughed before he pushed her back slightly to look at her once again.

She had gone through with her plan to be Juliet, and it only made sense that he would dress up as Romeo, only after Hayley had begun to pester him.

Her hair was curled, and she wore a crown with a veil attached. Her dress was long and puffy, a light rose color. Her corset was woven golden ribbon, and hugged the right places. She wore a pair of gold flats, and the locket Jason had given her.

He was wearing a white, puffy shirt and a vest that matched the dress color. His pants were black, the pants that went to his favorite tux.

"You look beautiful," He told her, handing off a rose he had mysteriously hidden. He laughed as she blushed. "Shall we, Juliet?"

"I suppose so, Romeo." Mitchie took his outstretched arm, she giggled as he made a face due to her horrible rhyming. "Thank you, Shane."

"For what, Mitch?"

"For bringing me," She said simply, leaning into him. "And making me go."

Shane looked down at her and smiled. "I'd rather bring you than anyone else, Mitchie."

* * *

"Dance with me?" He asked minutes later, reaching out already to grab her hand and pull her into the crowd.

"I don't really think I have a choice," She replied, laughing and following him out.

Not much for dancing, Mitchie still wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against him heavily.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you_  
_'Cause I know that you feel me somehow_  
_You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be_  
_And I don't want to go home right now_

"I'm really glad I'm here, Jase." Hayley muttered, her head on his shoulder. He laughed and kissed her hairline.

"Me too, Hayles. There's no place I'd rather be,"

_And all I can taste is this moment_  
_And all I can breathe is your life_  
_'Cause sooner or later it's over_  
_I just don't want to miss you tonight_

"You, Miss. Geller, are a divine dancer," Nate whispered as he dipped her.

"I _could_ say the same thing about you," Caitlyn replied, twirling under his arm. "Unless you want to step on my foot _again_."

"_One time_!"

_And I don't want the world to see me_  
_'Cause I don't think that they'd understand_  
_When everything's meant to be broken_  
_I just want you to know who I am_

"No!" Mitchie squealed as he lifted her high into the air. She giggled, tightening her arms around him. "_Shane Adam Gray_!"

"_Michelle Elizabeth Torres_!" He mimicked with a laugh.

_And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming_  
_Or the moment of truth in your lies_  
_When everything feels like the movies_  
_Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive_

"Is this a bad time to say _I love you_?" He asked suddenly, causing her to lift her head up rather quickly. "I know it hasn't been that long, but..._I love you_, Hayley."

Hayley blushed, before sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him ever so softly. "I love you, too, Jason."

_And I don't want the world to see me_  
_'Cause I don't think that they'd understand_  
_When everything's meant to be broken_  
_I just want you to know who I am_  
_I just want you to know who I am_  
_I just want you to know who I am_  
_I just want you to know who I am_

"Are you having fun, Cait?" He asked, his arms were wound around her waist in an unbreakable hold. Without waiting for an answer, he leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

"I'll be back," He promised, for the eighteenth time that night. Despite her better judgment, Mitchie nodded and stood back to watch her brother and her friends dance.

Shane Gray was evidently a popular boy.

He had had to leave her alone for more than a few times that evening, and despite the minor setback, she was still enjoying herself,

"Whoever you brought with you is a jerk," A darker voice muttered. "How could he leave such a beautiful girl unescorted?"

Startled, she turned around and her dark brown eyes met a very pair of familiar, soft blue ones.

"Oh my gosh...You're..."

"Jake Ryan?" He teased, holding out his hand for her to take. "And you're Mitchie Torres, right? Jason's sister. It's great to meet you. By the way, you're an _amazing_ singer."

"From Zombie High!" Mitchie blurted out, blushing wildly. "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! You're such an _amazing_ actor!...I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"It's cute," Jake admitted. "So, dance with me?"

"I'd love to..." She trailed off, glancing over her shoulder. "But..."

"Shane's caught up in a pretty big group right now." He told her, pointing off to the right. "He won't be back till the song after this next one, most likely. Just one dance, please?"

"Okay."

_When you forget me_  
_When you don't remember my name_  
_Not even a memory_  
_Somewhere in the back of your brain_  
_I won't be offended_  
_Cause I always knew that the day_  
_Will come when I'm not enough to make you stay_  
_Tell me it's not possible,_  
_No way that we could break_  
_But nothing is illogical, believe me_

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was enjoying her time with Jake Ryan. Even Caitlyn seemed to approve, glancing over Nate's shoulder to mouth about how _cute_ he was!

_Like falling stars over your head_  
_They've been bound to burn out, burn out_  
_Crashing 'cause I'll never get over you, never over you_  
_Cause you are so beautiful, yeah_

Shane leaned against the wall, his eyes darkening as he took in the sight of someone else holding Mitchie.

But he was too much of a gentleman to interrupt a dance.

Mitchie didn't even seem to notice him standing there, and that pissed him off even more.

_The world is turning,and time keeps on lingering on_  
_The sun will be burning_  
_Eventually you will be gone_  
_I'll always love you_  
_Oh believe it or not_  
_Baby that's not enough to, not enough to stop these.  
Falling stars over your head_  
_They've been bound to burn out, burn out_  
_Crashing 'cause I'll never get over you, never over you_  
_You are so beautiful, yeah_

"This is going to sound really forward..." Jake began, blushing himself. "But do you think I can get your number?"

"Yeah," Mitchie answered rather quickly. No guy had ever asked for her number before. She took his phone, and with shaking hands, entered the cell phone number she had been using ever since she had come to live with her brother.

"How long are you guys going to be in town for?"

"Three more days," She was growing more and more nervous. Was he about to...

"Will you go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?" He asked, just as nervous. "I mean, if your brother's cool with it, and everything."

"Yes!" Her grip on him tightened. She blushed as she realized just how eager she sounded, and she tried to tone it down. "I mean...Yeah! That sounds like a lot of fun!"

"Cool,"

"Mind if I cut in?" A velvety voice asked. A warm hand landed on her shoulder, she looked up and smiled.

"Shane!" Mitchie called, throwing her arms around his neck. He laughed and rubbed her back with one hand, the other reaching out to shake Jake's, because he had been raised with manners.

"Hey, man. Great episode last week," He was bluffing. He would _never_ watch Zombie High.

"Thanks, dude. I can't wait to hear the new album,"

Shane laughed, his grip on Mitchie tightening. "Yeah. It's gonna be great."

"Well, Mitchie." Jake leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

He raised an eye brow. "What's tomorrow?"

"We..." She blushed, slipping her arms around his neck. "We have a date."

"A _date_?! Mitch..."

"Stop it, Shane." Mitchie warned. "You said we couldn't be together, so this is me trying to meet new people. Okay? Can you just be happy for me, Shay? Please?"

"You're right," He replied, even though she was wrong. He wrapped his arms around her and held on. "You're right, Mitch. I _am_ happy for you. But if he hurts you..."

"My big, scary brother and my two badass best friends will beat that crap out of him. I know, I know. _You_ know I love you, right?"

"I know," Shane smiled, but it was forced. "I love you too, Mitch."


	49. If This Is What You Want

"_Please_ Jason?!"

"I want to say absolutely not!" He remarked bitterly. "But I'm afraid that you're going to give me your puppy dog eyes again."

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes," Jason said finally, through gritted teeth. "But you have your phone on you at all times, and if he tries _anything_..."

"Thank you!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him. She kissed him on the cheek before grabbing Caitlyn, who in return, grabbed Nate.

He had apparently agreed to take them to the nearest mall, he grabbed the keys to their rental car and followed after them grudgingly.

The security team was somewhere behind them as Nate drove down the road; he was a good driver, more careful than the other two.

Which gave Caitlyn the perfect excuse to make fun of him.

"Hey Natie. I think that lady on her motor-scooter just passed us," She called out, making her best friend giggle in the process. "_Oh_! And look. She just gave you the finger."

"You're lucky you're cute, Cait." He muttered, changing lanes. "You are so freaking lucky that you're cute, and that I love you. Now shut up."

* * *

"So," Caitlyn muttered as she helped her friend apply sample makeup. "What are you going to do if he tries to kiss you?"

"Kill him," Nate replied bitterly from the chair a saleswoman had oh so graciously brought out for him to sit on.

"Wan I talking to you?" She asked, shooting him a warning look.

"Sorry if I'm not comfortable with the idea of some pretty boy shoving his tongue down my best friend's throat."

Mitchie laughed and reached out to pat his cheek. "If anything goes wrong, you'll be the first person I call,"

"I'd better be."

"So," Caitlyn said again, whispering so he wouldn't hear. "Do you want him to kiss you?"

Truthfully, she did. She wanted to erase her kiss with Shane from her mind, and she hoped that kissing someone as sweet and as cute as Jake Ryan, would do so.

_Yeah, right,_

* * *

"He's _late_!" Mitchie cried again. She would have thrown herself down on the bed, the only thing stopping her was the realization that her two friends had put a lot of time and effort into her hair and makeup.

"Oh my god!" She said suddenly, causing Hayley to jerk as she did so. "He's not coming! He stood me up! I'm such an..."

"Mitch!" Nate called from the living room of their hotel suite. "Jake's here. C'mon. Hurry up!"

She squealed, her negative thoughts vanishing just as quickly as they had appeared.

Hayley, in an older sister fashion, reached out and grasped her hand, doing the same to Caitlyn before heading for the door.

"Gentlemen," She addressed the group of boys. Jake looked uncomfortable with the three, fit Connect 3 boys. "I give you, Miss. Michelle Torres."

Mitchie laughed, stepping around her friend to join the rest of her friends. Jake's jaw dropped.

And if Shane hadn't been fighting it with everything he had, his would have as well.

She was beautiful, she was always beautiful, but the dress she wore was the perfect color for her skin tone and hugged her in all the right places.

The dress was yellow, tight around her neck and sleeveless. She wore her new black leather jacket _(she had joked to Nate and Caitlyn that she was never taking it off.)_ She had on a new pair of gray, ankle boots, and around her neck was the necklace Shane had given to her for her birthday.

At first, she wasn't going to wear it. She thought it might ruin her plans of trying to forget their kiss, and trying to bury her feelings for him. But it was beautiful, and she loved it so much.

And it looked amazing with her dress.

"You look beautiful," Jake muttered as he kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so sorry, Mitchie. I promise, I can explain everything-"

"Later." She said with a laugh, letting go of him. She wrapped her arms around Hayley, and then Caitlyn, thanking them both for putting up with her craziness.

Nate hugged her next, leaning in close to whisper into her ear. "Remember our deal."

"Yes, Nathan." Mitchie rolled her eyes, giving him a light shove. "I promise."  
"Keep your phone on," Jason warned. He kissed the side of her head. "And you. You'd better take good care of my sister,"

"I..." Jake's hand met with Jason's, and he winced as the twenty one year old guitarist squeezed back tighter than he needed to. That move earned him a jab in the ribs, curtsey of his sister. "I...Promise. I won't let anything happen to her."

"Good," He said honestly. "Because if you did, I doubt anyone would be able to find you."

"Where would I..."

"_Don't_ ask," Mitchie warned, wrapping her hand around his wrist. She began to lead him away, only to stop again. "_Don't_ answer," She warned Jason.

"Shane!" She called, grateful to see him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing her face into his chest. "Keep him distracted. Please."

"Hayley's here," Shane reminded her, smiling genuinely. He rubbed her back, shooting Jake a sideways look. "I don't think he'll be too worried. But I do promise to lock him in the hotel basement if he does try to decide and go after you,"

She giggled, hugging him again. "You're the best, you know that? I love you."

"I love you too, Mitch." He leaned in to hug her again. "And just like with Monica Edwards, if he fucks with you, I'll fuck with him. Now go, have fun. You deserve it,"

* * *

"Yeah, my car," He started with a sigh, glancing over at her. "I'm sorry, it broke down," As he spoke, the car started making the crazy noise again, the one he had given her a lengthy imitation of just minutes before.

"Oh, oh." Jake hissed, hitting the steering wheel. "Oh no..."

"What's happening?" Mitchie asked, raising an eye brow.

"Nothing! It's all...good!"

"Are you sure?"

Without answering, he stopped the car and got out. He didn't expect her to follow, but he was about to learn that Mitchie was not a normal girl.

He was trying to use his IPhone to see the engine. She reached out and took his phone away, going to settings to made the light brighter so he could see better.

"You're really sweet." Jake told her, flashing her an apologetic smile. "But I don't know if I trust your car repair advice. But you know, you're kind of a technology geek in a way."

* * *

After an amazing dinner, Italian, her favorite, he drove her somewhere a date had never taken her.

"The park?" She asked, raising an eye brow. She giggled as he opened her car door, reaching up to take his outstretched hand. "That's so cute!"

"I try," Jake flashed her another smile, he hadn't let go of her hand, it seemed, for the entire night.

It was a nice feeling, not exactly what she had expected, but it was still nice.

They sat down on a bench, and it took almost all the courage he had to stretch his arm out and wrap it around her.

"Thank you for tonight," Mitchie began, resting her head on his shoulder. "I really needed it,"

"You are one of the most amazing girls I have ever met," Jake responded with a knowing smile. "It was my pleasure, Miss. Torres,"

She realized just how nice it was to be able to sit there, having someone hold her, and to not have to say anything. She liked the quiet.

All too soon, though, the peaceful moment ended.

Rain fell from the sky, soaking them rather quickly. Jake grabbed her hand, ready to run back to the car in any hopes of staying dry, but she wouldn't budge.

He turned back to look at her, his eyes widening as he once again tried to pull her away. "Mitchie-"

She cut him off, flinging her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. He seemed surprised at first, but all too soon, he was kissing her back.

"Mitchie!" Jake said again, letting out a low chuckle. "I...Umm...Wow. That was..."

"Amazing," Mitchie finished. It had been, if anything, amazing.

Deep down, only known to her, also, slightly disappointing.

And yet, she found herself leaning up to kiss him again, and again, and again.

Jake laughed and wrapped his arms around her, before giving his idea a second thought. He leaned down and scooped her up, carrying her whilst running back to the car. He made sure he was in, before sprinting over to his own side.

"That," He muttered, cupping her cheek. "Was amazing, Miss. Torres. And a perfect way to end our first date,"

* * *

"Look who's back," A deep voice greeted as she started towards the elevator. "And just two minutes before her curfew. _Great_ job, Mitch."

"Look who's bitter," Mitchie retorted, she kicked off her shoes before turning to face him, crossing her arms as she did so. "What's your problem."

Shane tossed her his phone; he was on the HotTunes website again. And somehow, they has already gotten a picture of herself kissing the young, beautiful, blonde actor.

"So?" She laughed bitterly. "What's it to you, Shay? I _kissed_ a boy. Wasn't that the plan? You said we couldn't be together, so this is me, moving on."

"Let me ask you something," Shane got to his feet, wrapping his hand around her arm and dragging her off to the side, where they could get a decent amount of privacy. "Do you _really_ like this guy, Mitch? Or are you just trying to piss me off?"

"Who I date," She hissed, using just as much venom in her voice as he had. "Is really none of your business, Shane. So please. Just stay out of it,"

"Is this what you want, Mitchie?" He demanded, pressing her further up against the wall. "Tell me. Right now,"

"Yes," Mitchie was lying through her teeth, not that he would ever notice. "This is really what I want."

Shane reeled back as if she had slapped him. He looked her up and down, his eyes cold, before turning on his heel and walking away.


	50. One Month Later

She and Shane hardly spoke for the next month.

Actually, _Shane_ would barely give her time of day. If he did talk to her, he used a generic tone; he had even stopped calling her Mitch.

The others didn't seem to notice, and if they did, they were smart enough to keep out of it, in hopes that the two best friends would be able to work it out.

Somehow, Mitchie felt comfortable enough to talk to her boyfriend about how much she missed him.

_Boyfriend_.

It hadn't taken long; two days after their kiss, they had made it official. The fans went nuts over the unseen relationship.

They were together as much as possible, holding hands and kissing out in public. They had gone on solo outings, they had been accompanied by a protective Jason, Jason and Hayley, a protective Nate, Caitlyn, Nate and Caitlyn, as well as the four of them all together.

The only one who had yet to make an appearance, was Connect 3's bad boy, Shane Gray. And the fans were starting to notice.

_Shane! Shane! How do you feel about Mitchie dating Jake Ryan?!_

_Mitchie's got a good head on her shoulders_. Had been his only reply.

"He'll come around, Mitchie." Jake said simply, as they watched the report on HotTunes. His arm was around her, where it seemed to be permanently glued whenever she was with him. "Your brother and Nate did. Caitlyn and Hayley were a little more welcoming that the boys were. You just need to give him a little more time,"

"I _miss_ him," She replied miserably.

"I feel like you're talking about your boyfriend," He muttered, narrowing his eyes at her, frowning just the same. "And you shouldn't be talking like that, because _I'm_ right here. Just relax and let him get over himself, alright?"

Mitchie didn't bother with a response. When it came to Connect 3, Shane Gray to be specific, he was a little more standoffish.

And while he was standoffish with her best friend, he made up for it in other ways.

For one, he was a gentlemen.

He held open doors for her, just like the boys did. But he also got her in and out of his car, something only Nate seemed to do, as a joke.

He was sweet, and understanding. He never pressured her to tell him things about her old life, and she found herself doing so. It seemed easier not to,

He brought her a flower each time he came to see her; twice a week if they were lucky. The last time he had been there, he had surprised her right after their interview.

Seeing him had made Shane stalk off stage rather quickly.

Mitchie was writing again, her newest song she had cowritten with Nate. It was her feelings, he threw in his input every few minutes, and together, the song had come out perfect.

But she wondered who the song was really for; Jake, or...

_Shane_.

And it was the most frustrating thing ever, when a month later, she still couldn't figure it out.

And she talked to the only person she could.

"You still have feelings for him," Caitlyn told her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to stay.

They were sitting on the couch in their shared hotel room; private since this hotel didn't have suites. It was the safest place to talk.

"What?" Mitchie blinked. Once again, she was lying through her teeth, and unlike Shane, Caitlyn knew that right away. "That's...Crazy."

"What's crazy." She drew out, adjusting her sitting position. "Is that you're denying it. It's okay that you still have feelings for him. But you need to deal with that,"

And then she stood up, leaving her best friend to think.

Mitchie sighed and flung herself down on the couch, grabbing the nearest pillow and hiding her face under it.

But instead of thinking, she fell asleep, dreaming heavily.

* * *

They said it would happen; the doctors at the hospital after the accident. They said she would dream about it.

And yet, until now, it had yet to happen.

She woke up, screaming. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she reached for her phone, dialing his number from memory.

"Mitchie?" Jake asked, his tone rushed. He was probably on set, reading line or getting ready for another scene. "Hey, what's up? Is it _really_ important? I have to be back on in five."

"I..." She began as a sob escaped her throat. She couldn't finish, and he didn't seem to notice.

"Great, thanks, babe. I promise I'll call you tonight."

And then he hung up.

Blindly, reaching for the bedroom door, she threw it open and made her way to one of the other adjoining rooms across the hallway.

Nate didn't answer, he must have still been down at the pool with Caitlyn. Jason and Hayley had gone out to dinner. There was only place she could go.

"Shane!" She managed to get out, banging down on his door. It opened seconds later, and he stood there, his guitar in his arms.

"Mitchie," He addressed crossly, before he actually got a good look at her. He dropped his instrument, without hurting it, and reached out to cup her cheek. "Mitch...?"

"I...Dream..._Accident_," She drew out, before collapsing. He was quick to catch her, wrapping his arms around her and holding on tight.

"Shh," Shane whispered as he got her standing again. He didn't let go of her as he kicked the door shut, and dragged her over to his bed.

She was more or less sitting on his lap as he rocked her back and forth, her arms were wound around his neck in an unbreakable hold. One arm was around her waist, his free hand rested on the back of her head.

"I'm so sorry," Mitchie chocked out, pulling back slightly to look at him. "I'm so sorry, Shay."

"It's alright, Mitch." He answered, rubbing her back. "You know I'm always going to be there for you, right?"

"I know," She muttered, leaning against him. "Shay, I know you don't like my relationship, but please...I can't lose you,"

He laughed lightly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "You could never lose me, Mitch. You're right, I don't like it. But you could never lose me, I'm always going to be here, Mitch."


	51. Welcome To The Movie Premier

"Hi guys!" The newest reporter called, breaking up their group discussion. They were at anther premier for the boy's guest starring role, dressed in the best, thanks to Joan.

"Hi!" They answered, startled by her sudden appearance. They had done so many interviews that night, they just weren't expecting another one.

"It's a privilege to be standing here, talking to you guys."

"We are very...privileged as well." Caitlyn blushed, realizing how silly her answer sounded.

Shane and Jason laughed; no doubt, they would never let her live this down.

"How are you finding it here?"

"It's amazing." Jason admitted, shotting a glance at the others. "I mean, we love it. It's fun being back. We're here, promoting our movie, and we're excited."

"Yeah! Amazing! Shane, how are you finding being a movie star?"

This time, he blushed. "Umm, wow...Umm. It's really...I guess it's a cool feeling. I mean, I, umm. Wow. Thank you. That's all I can...It's like, whoa!"

"Girls? What are these three like to work with?"

"They're great to work with."

"Awful!" Her brother muttered, mimicking her perfectly. "They're awful!"

"Are they well behaved on set? Who's the joker?"

Eight pairs of eyes turned to look at Shane. Caitlyn and Mitchie giggled, earning a warning glance from the eighteen year old rock star.

"That's self-explanatory, really." Caitlyn began, elbowing her cousin. "I feel like we're all open books, we all kinda know our personalities. We all have a great time, learning about each other on a more personal level, and um, seeing each other's work ethic, and how how professional and well behaved as a group of teenagers in this business. It's really admirable to watch them perform."

"So you guys are usually almost all together. Do you hang out, a lot? Your fans are hoping that after so much time together, you're still good friends as it appears on TV and magazines."

"We hang out all the time. When we're at a show, we hang out as much as we possibly can."

"And how has your life changed since you've come to live with your brother?"

Mitchie laughed, thinking for a moment. "Umm, it hasn't. It's a little busier."

Jason gave his little sister a playful look, to which she grinned back.

"How do you cope with all the press? The media wanting to know your every move?"

"It's interesting." Nate began. I think, you have to learn to laugh, after a while. Even if they say something, kind of awful, you have to learn how to smile and joke with your friends.

"And you're sixteen...You're sixteen, right?"

"I am."

"Is that tricky growing up under the spotlight?"

"No. As long as you make sure you have good people around you, it's all good."

The five seemed to share a secret smile, their eyes glowing.

"Now your fans, your fans are crazy. Guys? How do you cope with that?"

"We just kind of watch them and laugh." Shane chuckled. "Cause they kind of go crazy once and a while, and they're loud, and you think everything's wrong. But, umm, they're amazing and we love our fans. And to see that they show up, everywhere. They camp out, they come to these stores to hang out with us. It's really fun."

"Absolutely."

"What is the strangest thing they have ever sent to you?"

He thought for a minute, before recalling the old story. "The strangest thing we've _ever_ gotten...We've gotten a dead shark as a gift once."

Jason joined in. "Yeah. It was in a tube, and it said _Shark_ on it. It was really crazy."

"Sorry, guys." The sixteen year old said, raising her hand sheepishly. "That was from me."

They once again laughed, allowing their fans to see their natural chemistry. They were friends, _best_ friends, as well as a family. No matter how dysfunctional it seemed sometimes, they were family.

"That was from Mitchie." He gave his sister a mocked angered look. "Yeah, that was for my _birthday_. I don't like it very much. It _smells_."

"Now, do you have a dream date? With anybody. I'm gonna go around. If you could have a dream date with anyone, who would it be? Who would you go on a date with, and why?"

"Oh no...I dunno..." The oldest band member drew out, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Ugh...Nate, you start this one off. I don't have it."

"Ann Hathaway." Nate answered, rather quickly. He couldn't miss the withering glance from Caitlyn after he answered, and he smiled back at her innocently, mouthing to her that he loved her more than anyone in the entire world.

"What is it about her that you like?"

"She's great." He said simply. "Whole thing is great."

"Ugh...Fred Astaire." Caitlyn shrugged, smiling just as innocently as he had. "He's an _amazing_ dancer. And you can't pair me up with him, because he's not living anymore. Safe answer!"

"Smart answer," Nate muttered, shooting her a warning glance.

"Umm, Cheryl Cole." Shane said into the mic

"I don't even know who that is," His cousin admitted. He looked down at her, amused, before continuing.

"Yeah...She's just, the _perfect_ women."

"Do you watch her on the TV over here?"

"Yeah. Every time we're over here, we watch the videos. We're big fans of them, so, they're cool."

"Have you gotten to _meet_ them?"

"No, we _never_ met Girl Power."

"We need to make that happen." Jason added.

"Maybe there could be a tour somewhere?"

"You know, that would be an exciting, exciting event, I think. We would defiantly look forward to that."

"Mitchie?" Shane asked, rather quickly, wanting to draw attention away from himself. She looked up and him and winked, her way of telling him that she was indeed, on his side.

"Okay, yes! Sorry!"

"Umm," She laughed. "William Beckett. He is a lead singer from the band called The Academy Is..."

No one could miss the way Shane rolled his eyes at her answer. But just as soon as he had done it, he was smiling again.

"And why _him?"_

"Umm," She drew out again. "He wears tight pants. And he has really long hair, and he's just really good looking. And he looks really good on stage."

"Sounds like you're describing my cousin," Caitlyn muttered, just for them to hear. The elbow jabs she received from the two were well deserved.

"And Jason?"

Jason furrowed his eye brows, the way he did when he was thought too much. "Umm, I think Nate and Shane covered it. They're both extremely awesome girls."

"We'll take them to a _really_ nice restaurant, somewhere..."

"Classy." The three boys said together.

"And I'll bring William!" Mitchie interjected, earning a warning glance from both her brother and Shane.

"Well..." Caitlyn sighed. "I guess I'm alone on this one!"

They laughed again, each reaching out to touch her shoulder in mock sympathy.

"You can come along, though." Shane told her, brushing his hand across the small of her back. "Cause it wouldn't be fun without you, Cait."

"Great," She muttered. "Third wheel, much?"


	52. A New Kind Of Hell

"Shay,"

"Hmm?"

"How much do you love me?"

"Yes, Mitch. I'll get you a water."

"Yay!" She called as he headed towards the kitchen. "You're the best! I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Mitchie laughed and leaned back into Jake, happily content. When Shane said he would always be there for her, he meant that he would even bear seeing her with her boyfriend.

His arm around her shoulder tightened slightly as the eighteen year old came back, reaching out to hand her a glass.

"Thank you, Shane-a-nator," She sang, grinning up at him.

"_Shaneanator_?" He demanded, raising an eye brow. "God, Mitch. Don't start again. As if _Shay_ isn't bad enough,"

"_Shaneanator_!" Mitchie repeated, grinning at him. She batted her eyelashes, all the while, moving out from under Jake's arm. "Come and get me, _Shaneanator_!"

"You're dead," Shane warned, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Run Michelle, _run_."

She pulled away from Jake completely, heading for the hallway. Once again, their rooms were separated, and if she could make it to her shared room with Caitlyn...

"Not fast enough," He announced, his arms already around her. Her feet dangled above the ground as he turned her to face him.

"You _gotta_ learn how to be faster than that, Mitch." Shane continued. He held her with one arm, his free hand began to poke her waist.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, sounding very genuine. Just as he began to cave, releasing her, she jabbed her elbow into his side and ran. "Sorry that you're such an idiot!"

"You're going to pay for that one, Michelle _Elizabeth_!"

"Catch me if you can, Shane _Adam_!" Mitchie retorted, just barely glancing over her shoulder to see if he was gaining on her.

_Of course_ he was. He was faster.

Not looking where she was going, had its consequences. She knocked into someone, their arms shot out to wrap around her, all the while, pulling her out of the eighteen year old's sight.

"I'm-"

She was cut off by a hand over her mouth. She was turned to face her culprit, her eyes widened and she let out a muffled scream.

"Hello, Michelle." He said, smiling coldly. He was Satan, in disguise. "What do you say we go pay a visit to Caitlyn,"

* * *

"Jake," Shane called, stepping back into the room. "Where's Mitchie? Have you seen her?"

"Not since you chased her out of the room," He muttered bitterly, his eyes still glued to the TV.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Jake sighed, giving the eighteen year old a not so innocent shrug. "Just that, you get a little affectionate with somebody's girlfriend."

"Hey man," The actor was pissing him off, enough to make him want to punch him. But he'd promised Mitchie...

"That girl means the _world_ to me." Shane hissed, gripping the front of his shirt so suddenly, that he dropped the remote, his eyes widening. "And forgive me for saying this, but what kind of self-centered _prick_ doesn't worry, when he can't find his girlfriend anywhere. Now, I'm gonna go look for her, because, just for Mitchie, I _will_ be the good guy."

And to no surprise, Jake didn't follow him.

* * *

"Which room is yours?" He demanded, his grip on her upper arm tightening. He was almost carrying her, her attempt to drag her feet while just in a pair of socks, proved to be useless. She had kicked her shoes off back in Shane's hotel room.

"You two share a room, right?" He continued, growing frustrated when she wouldn't answer. "I suggest you start talking, Mitchie, or else. I promise you, I'll beat the shit out of Caitlyn as soon as I find her."

"Stay the hell away from her." Mitchie hissed, her voice sounded icy, like Shane's when he got angry. "You'd better stay the hell away from her."

"Who's gonna make me." He laughed bitterly. "_You_? I don't think so. Now tell me which room is yours, and then you can go."

"_No_!"

His hand flew back and smacked her across the face, slamming her into the wall with the force of the blow. He yanked her back up, ready to hit her again until he got another idea.

"I guess we'll just have to text her," He muttered, pulling her phone from his pocket, when he had taken in minutes before.

_Hey. Left my keycard in Shane's room. Can you open the door for me? :)_

Seconds later, room 221 swung open, Caitlyn's smiling face poked out. She was expecting to see her best friend.

Instead, she saw her worst nightmare.

"Hello, love." Drew smiled, but it was dark, no emotion. He swung the brunet into her, all the while, kicking the door shut.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" Mitchie cried. Her best friend held her up, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's okay," She whispered, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "It's okay! It's not your fault."

Then, she turned to face _him_.

"What did you do to her." Caitlyn hissed, running to the bathroom. She wet down a, unfortunately white, wash cloth and pressed it against her best friend's cheek.

"She's fine, _Caity_." Drew assured her, reaching out to squeeze the brunet's shoulder. "I didn't hit her that hard."

Before his hand could make contact with her at all, the curly haired sixteen year old smacked it away.

"Don't touch her," She warned, her eyes darkening. "If you touch her again, I'll make you regret it."

"Like you could,"

"C'mon, Mitch." She muttered, allowing her to lean against her heavily. She managed to get her over to her bed, lying her down before moving to stand in front of her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Came to see my girl," He answered with a smile, that dark smile... "I know you missed me,"

"Oh. Did hell freeze over already?"

He stood up, and raised his hand. "Does my girl need to be taught another lesson?"

"Do whatever the hell you want to," Caitlyn said, smiling smugly. "But just know that it won't work. I'm not coming back to you, Andrew. Never again,"

"Never say never," He replied, just as smugly. "You're mine, Caity. Or have you forgotten that?"

He reached down and lifted up her shirt slightly, allowing Mitchie to see the scars across her back.

There it was, it was so hard not to see.

Burned into her skin, scarred now, was his name. Caitlyn winced, tears began to well up, and then they were streaming down her cheeks.

"See, Caity. You could never belong to Nate Black. You're mine. _Forever_."


	53. Goodbye Too You

"Let's get going,"

Caitlyn looked at him like he was crazy. She was sitting on the bed beside her best friend, her arms locked around her in a protective embrace.

"Go where," Mitchie asked. Her head was spinning, an obvious sign of a concussion. She was trying to stay awake, Caitlyn was doing her best to keep her talking.

"We're leaving." Drew said again, he yanked on the curly haired girl's jacket. "C'mon, _Caity_. Get her up, help her out."

"She's _not_ coming," She hissed, her grip tightening. "You're not taking her too,"

"I have to," He smiled sadly, falsely. He wasn't sorry, he never was. "Bitch knows about all of this. I promise, after we're out of the state, I'll leave her outside of the nearest hospital. But for now, she's with us,"

When she still didn't move, he raised his hand and struck the sixteen year old again, she let out a startled cry.

"Stop!" Caitlyn begged, moving once again to stand in front of her. "Please, Drew. I _love_ you! I always have! I don't love Nate! He means _nothing_ to me. I promise, I'll go with you, just please. Leave Mitchie out of this."

He smiled, satisfied with her answer. Moving in, even closer, he began to kiss her, he pushed her hair behind her ear.

"I'd knew you'd see it my way, baby." Drew, being surprisingly gentle, pushed her off to the side before wrapping his arms around Mitchie's waist, picking her up. He supported her weight easily, and began to tow her to the door.

"Of course, _love_, you'll understand why I need Mitchie to come with us," His free hand reached into his pocket, and he pulled out a knife. He held it up against the brunet's back, hidden by her jacket and hair. Caitlyn, completely numb, had no choice but to follow him; her best friend's life could be in this monster's hands. "But don't worry, _Caity_. I won't hurt her...Any more than I already have,"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gripped Mitchie's limp hand. "Do you promise?"

"Promise what, love?"

"Do you promise," Her words were full of venom. "That if I go with you, that you will get her to a hospital. Do you promise?"

"I promise,"

* * *

"Have you seen Mitchie?!" He demanded, his words rushed. He had looked for her everywhere, and he was freaking out.

"Have you checked her room?" Nate asked with a laugh. He reached out and pressed his hand into the older boy's shoulder. "Dude, relax. You were chasing her, right? She's probably back in the room, hiding behind Caitlyn. I'm headed up there right now, just come with me."

Shane reluctantly followed him upstairs, but he couldn't shake his feeling that something was really wrong.

He raised his hand to knock, as he had learned to do instead of just throwing the door open, but something stopped him.

_"Stop! Please, Drew. I love you! I always have! I don't love Nate! He means nothing to me. I promise, I'll go with you, just please. Leave Mitchie out of this."_

Nate's jaw tightened as he and Shane shared a worried look,

"Jason," Shane spoke as quietly and as calmly as he could, given the situation. "You need to get back...Something's wrong."

* * *

No sooner had he gotten the door open, had a hand flown back and punched him in the face.

It wasn't who she thought it was.

Nate.

He looked beyond angry; there was a mix of emotions that he allowed her to see. Hurt, anxiety, pain, relief, and more anger.

Drew recovered quickly, but instead of throwing a punch, his grip on Mitchie tightened, the knife moved from her back, to her neck.

"Shane!" Caitlyn called, as someone grabbed her and pulled her back into them. Nate, again.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, knowing he had heard every word she'd said to Drew. "He had Mitchie...I didn't...Nate!"

He was quick to wrap his arms around her, he hid her face, shielding her from everything going on around them.

"I know, Cait." He muttered, though the words stung just the same.

"Caitlyn!" Shane hissed. "Get back to my room and call the police. Tell Jake what's going on, and lock the door. Go. _Now_!"

Then, to Drew. "I swear to god if you don't let her go, _right_ now, I'll..."

"What, Pop _Star_," Drew mimicked, mocking his authority. "You'll _finish a sentence_? Here, how about this. You give me Caitlyn, and your girlfriend doesn't get hurt,"

"No fucking way."

"Hey!" A different voice called, one that Shane and Nate had yet to hear before. It was unbelievably, Jason Torres-Green, of all people.

"You'd better get the _fuck_ away from my sister."

His eyes were dark, his voice murderous. And even Drew hesitated for a moment, before he turned the knife.

Jason's arm was a blur, as it flew back and hit him. His sister rolled out of the bastards embrace.

Nate went to grab her, but Drew wasn't down yet. He raised the knife, his aim would have been perfect, and would have hurt the most important girl in the twenty one year olds life.

He wasn't sure where the adrenaline came from, but the knife went flying across the hall. Jason's hands were tight around Drew's neck, holding him there until the police arrived.

Shane dropped to his knees and cradled the sixteen year old. Somehow, after everything she had gone through, she was still ready to fall asleep. Her eyes remained closed, and for a moment, she didn't say a thing.

"You saved me," She muttered, cracking an eye lid to look up at her brother. "You're my Jason,"

"And my Nate," Mitchie continued as the sixteen year olds hand took ahold of her own. "My Natie in shinning armor."

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn called, relief clear in her voice as she joined the three on the floor. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"My Cait,"

Jake, his eyes wide, stood back and surveyed the scene. He couldn't help but notice that she didn't reach out for him as she did her brother, who had left Drew to be dealt with by the police.

He held her on his lap now, one arm was draped around Caitlyn's shoulder, holding her there as well. Caitlyn's arm was still around the brunet, her head on the twenty one year olds shoulder. Her left hand was being held by Nate. Nate's right hand was stretched, holding onto Mitchie's left. Jason's free hand rested on the eighteen year olds shoulder, a silent thank you.

Mitchie, lazily, wrapped her free arm around the shaggy haired Rock Star's neck, she played with the strands of his hair, all the while, muttering: "_My_ Shane."

* * *

"Can I have one second?" He asked, as they passed him with Drew in custody. The officer reluctantly nodded and moved off to the side, just barely giving them enough privacy.

"I'm sorry, man." Drew began, giving him a sincere smile. "But I'm the _only _guy she loves. Don't feel bad. There's plenty of fish in the sea."

Nate laughed, bitterly. Then, his smile grew dark, as he grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him forward.

"See," He spat. "Here's the thing about a _healthy_ relationship: You understand that your girl is going to say _anything_ to protect her best friend when there's a knife at her throat."

He threw his arm back, and punched him again.

"You'd better _hope_ that Mitchie's okay," He hissed as they watched his best friend be loaded into the ambulance. He was supposed to drive Caitlyn to the hospital, while Jason and Shane rode with the sixteen year old. "Cause if there's _any_ permanent damage, I _will_ come after you."

He turned to leave, and then thought of one more thing.

"Don't worry about Caitlyn," Nate added, spinning back around. "I can, and _will_ make her happy. She deserves the world, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to give that to her."

Caitlyn, hearing his last few words, walked over and threw her arms around his neck. Then, in front of her abusive ex boyfriend, she turned and kissed him as hard as she could.

It took a second, but he was kissing her back.

"I love you," Caitlyn told him.

"I love you too," Nate responded, stroking her cheek. He kissed her forehead, twice, before wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Caitlyn," Drew hissed, his words full of venom. "Stop that. _Right _now."

"Goodbye, Drew." Caitlyn replied simply, she looked him in the eye.

And for the first time, she wasn't afraid of him.


	54. Aftermath: To Choose, Or Not To Choose

"This is _my_ fault," Caitlyn repeated. She was sitting on Nate's lap, one of her hands was intertwined with Shane's. The other was being held by Nate's, his arms tight around her waist.

"Why didn't you call for help?"

Shane turned to glare at him, a hint that what he said wasn't going to help the situation, but his cousin beat him to it.

"How about you shut up?" She demanded, wrestling away from Nate. He tried to grab her again; he'd forgotten how strong she became once she was determined.

"Why didn't _you_ know where your girlfriend was?" Caitlyn retorted, continuing her rant. She was just getting started. "The next time you see someone you care about, with a knife at their neck, you try calling for help and see what happens. I was going to do _anything_ I could to protect her. Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Don't you dare say that I wouldn't protect her-"

"You _didn't_!" She hissed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "That's just it. _You_ didn't protect her. _We_ did!"

"You know what, Caitlyn..."

"_Enough_." The two younger Connect 3 members chorused together. Shane and Nate pulled her back down, before the oldest in the room turned to speak.

"Stop," Shane warned. "She's been through enough for one night, and I'm not going to let her take any of the blame from what happened tonight. And like I said earlier, stop being such a _prick_, and just worry about your girlfriend."

Jake laughed bitterly. "You love her, don't you."

Nate had taken Caitlyn out of the room, to calm her down. Their leaving had gone unnoticed by the two, fuming, teenagers.

"Mitchie's my best friend," He answered through gritted teeth. "Of course I love her,"

"The media might make you out to be a jerk, Shane." Jake retorted. "But I know you're not that stupid. You're in love with my girlfriend. Just admit it,"

"I don't have to admit anything to you, pretty boy." Shane stood up and headed towards the hallway, his intent to check on Jason.

"You just did." He muttered angrily, dropping back down into his chair. "It's just a shame that she'll _never_ love you back,"

* * *

"Mitch," Jason whispered, his hand never left hers.

He felt tired, the tears he had secretly shed had made him feel so tired. It had been almost three hours, and she had yet to wake up.

"_Please_," He begged again. "Please, Mitchie. Open your eyes, squeeze my hand, dare to utter a cuss word. Please. Just do _something_."

At first, his effort to wake her up seemed to do nothing. Moments passed by slowly, and then Mitchie Torres squeezed her brother's hand.

"I'd cuss," She muttered hoarsely, opening her eyes. "But I'm afraid you were just speaking hypothetically, and I don't want to be grounded."

"Michelle Elizabeth Torres," He whispered warningly, his fingers knotted in her hair as he kissed her hairline. "You scared me,"

"What happened?" Mitchie asked, wincing as she ran her fingers through her hair. Then, the memory hit her. "Oh my god...Caitlyn!"

"Not a scratch," Jason promised her, wrapping his arms around her. He began to rock her back and forth. "Shh, Munchkin. Calm down. It's alright. She's okay, you're okay, everyone's okay."

"Is he...?"

"You guys are never going to have to see him again,"

"Mitchie..."

Caitlyn stood hesitantly in the doorway, Nate right beside her. When they saw that her eyes were open, they both seemed to run to embrace her.

"I'm sorry." Caitlyn muttered, catching hold of her hand. "I'm so sorry. I...Do you hate me?"

"Of course not!" She looked at her like she was crazy. "I could _never_ hate you, Caitlyn! Don't you know that? You're my best friend."

"What about me?" Nate asked, feigning hurt. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Do you have to ask?" Mitchie demanded. She began to laugh, which turned into a coughing fit. "Sleep now...Teasing later,"

The trio laughed lightly as they watched her slip back into a deep sleep. They stood together for a moment, before one by one, filing out to let her get some rest.

* * *

"I'm _really_," She began, glaring down at the IV they had given her. "Starting to hate hospitals,"

Shane offered her a light, forced laugh. A million thoughts ran through his head: How could he have let this happen. Should he send Caitlyn back to live with her parents? And _what_, exactly, would be able to keep him from killing Drew.

"Don't even think about it," Mitchie warned, reaching out to wrap her small hand around his wrist. "One, you won't get past the guards. And two, if you send Cait away, I'm going with her, and I don't think that's what you want."

"Mitchie Torres," He muttered, covering her hand with his own. "Mind reader,"

"And don't you forget it."

They laughed, genuinely, and then the door swung open.

Mitchie tensed, as she had been doing ever since the night before. When she saw that it was only Jake, his arms filled with flowers, she relaxed and even let out a small smile.

"Jakey!" She cooed, her medication hadn't completely worn off yet. Her smile grew as he leaned down and captured her lips in a quick kiss.

Then, he shot a leering glance at her best friend.

"Do you mind giving us some alone time?"

"No can do, sorry." Shane couldn't hide the smile on his face. He wasn't sorry, not in the least bit. "Call it over protectiveness, but until she gets outta here, Jason wants someone with her at all times."

"I'm here."

"When I said _someone_, I meant one of _us_."

"Jake," Mitchie warned, grabbing his hand with her free one. She pulled him off to the other side of her hospital bed. "Seriously. Can you two at least try and get alone?"

Jake thought for a moment, before lightly smacking her hand away and standing up.

"No," He said finally. "No. I'm sorry, Mitchie, but I can't just stand by and be friends with someone who's trying to steal my girlfriend."

"Jake." She protested, shooting Shane a helpless look. "Shane's my best friend. He's not trying to steal me away from you."

"Guess again," He hissed, turning to leave.

"Jake!"

"No, Mitchie." Jake spun back around. He crossed the room, and grabbed both of her hands roughly in his, despite Shane's protest. "I don't _want_ to make you do this, but I need you too. You have to choose: it's either _me_ or _him_. I'll come and see you before my plane leaves tomorrow, and you can give me your answer then."


	55. A Choice Worth Making

She didn't sleep that night; nor, had she said a word to anyone since they had checked into the new hotel. (_Jason refused to let either girl spend the night at their old one_.)

Caitlyn hadn't tried to talk to her about it: being her best friend, she realized that sometimes, the only thing Mitchie needed, was to be left alone.

How could she possibly make such a big decision?

She grabbed her laptop, and began to sort through pictures from the last few months.

Herself and Jake, backstage at one of the shows. His arm was around her shoulder, almost awkwardly. When they went out together, the second the paparazzi showed up, he'd release his hold on her hand.

She and Shane, at their birthday party. He had dipped her, and in the picture, she was laughing so hard that her cheeks had turned red. His smile was genuine, his strong arms were the only thing keeping her steady.

They would never be together.

"Nate!" She called out, desperately. Caitlyn may have been a better candidate to have a 'girl' talk with, but he knew her better than anyone.

"Go ahead," Caitlyn told him. They were sitting on the couch in the suite, he had his arm wrapped around her. Most girls would have been jealous of their boyfriend going to comfort another girl, but then again, Caitlyn Margaret Marie Geller wasn't any girl.

She understood just how important Mitchie's friendship was to Nate; she felt the same way towards her best friend.

And she also understood that her boyfriend was what her best friend needed. They had a connection that very few people in the world had.

"Thanks, babe." He muttered, kissing her forehead before getting up and jogging towards the girls room.

Nate took one look at her, and opened his arms, closing them around her as she sobbed into his chest.

"I don't know what to do." Mitchie told him, winding her arms around his waist. "How do you make a choice between your _best friend_ and your _boyfriend_?"

"You listen to your heart," Nate said simply, tightening his grip on her. "Don't listen to your head, Mitch. You are one of the smartest people I know, but your heart is going to tell you what you need."

* * *

"Mitchie,"

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, not the lips, like she had been expecting. She sighed, and glanced down at her watch.

They had five minutes.

Jake reached down and laced his fingers through her own, swinging their conjoined hands as he led the way through the airport.

"Shane's waiting for me," Mitchie admitted, because he was. He had, grudgingly, agreed to drive her, since everyone else was doing something.

He hadn't said a word to her the entire car ride over, in fear of what her answer might be. Not that she had been much for a conversation, either.

"Oh," He was quick to once again, release her hand. "So I guess we should just get straight to the point then, huh? Did you think about what I said?"

"I did." She replied. "I thought about it a lot. I thought about _how much_ I like you, and I thought about how happy you've made me over the last few months."

Jake's smile brightened, and he took another step towards her. "Yeah? Does that mean..."

"Wait." Mitchie cut him off. "I also thought about how unfair it is for you to make me choose between _you_ and my _best friend_."

"Mitchie." He protested. "That guy is in love with you! If you were in my shoes-"

"I talked to Nate." She continued, cutting him off again. "And he told not to follow my head this time. And you know what? He was right. Because right now, my head is telling me that the smart thing for me to do is to stay with you, and that we could have something really great, and that maybe someday Shane could be a distant memory. But I need to follow my heart...And my heart is telling me, that, even if it takes forever, it's always going to be him, Jake. I'm _so_ sorry, but...It's _always_ going to be Shane."

His expression was unreadable as he tore away from her completely. He grabbed his phone, and began to type.

"We'll tell everyone that it was mutual." Jake said in a motto tone. "You guys leave to do your international stuff in like, a week, right? We'll tell everyone that the distance was just going to be too hard, and that we'll remain friends."

Mitchie stared at him, beyond hurt. "It's _that_ easy for you?"

"You made your choice," He replied coldly. "I can't make it for you."

"Who are you?" She hissed, raising her hand. And there, in front of everyone, she slapped him before turning on her heel and running for the exit.

* * *

"Shane!" She called, praying that he could hear her. Seconds later, the drivers side door opened and he jumped out, concern was the only expression on his face.

"Mitch?" He questioned, pulling his sunglasses off. He barely had time to react as she threw herself at him, her arms winding around his neck.

"Mitchie," Shane muttered, confused as any on-looker was. He hesitantly rubbed her back for a few seconds, before pulling back slightly to look at her. "Mitch? Are you okay...?"

"I broke up with Jake!" Mitchie blurted out, blushing. She was smiling, despite the fact that her now ex-boyfriend was an even bigger jerk than her Pop Star. "_Jitchie_ is _done_! _Dead_!"

"What..." He started to stay, before pulling her back into his embrace. He couldn't hide the smile on his face. "You never did answer my question. Are you okay, Mitch?"

"I will be," She told him, burrowing her face into his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, he held onto her longer than he should have, but she wasn't letting go any time soon.

"What changed your mind?" He asked, reaching out to brush the hair out of her eyes. As he did so, she smiled up at him.

"Nothing," Mitchie began. "_Nothing_, not even a stupid boyfriend, is worth loosing you over, Shay. You mean more to me than Jake ever will...I hope you know that."

"I do," Shane promised, fighting the urge to kiss her. Instead, he looked down and found the perfect excuse to change the subject with. "Umm, Mitch? Why is your hand all red?"

"I..." She blushed, smiling sheepishly. "I may have just...Slapped Jake across the face?"

Instead of being angry, as he might have been, had it been anyone else, an even broader smile spread across his face.

"No way! You did what I've wanted to do ever since you started dating that jerk!"

"Slapping a guy is such a girly thing to do," Mitchie told him. "You should have punched him,"

"Do you want me to punch him?" Shane asked. Without waiting for an answer, he turned and started to head inside.

Mitchie spun him back around, gripping the back of his shirt to keep him by her side. "No, you idiot. Just stay with me, please?"

He reached down and laced his fingers through her own.

"Always."


	56. Welcome To Twitter, Mitchie Toress

"Hey Mitch," Nate called, not looking up from his phone. His arms were around Caitlyn, their eyes glued to the screen. "How come you're not on Twitter?"

"What kind of question is that." She retorted, dropping down onto the couch beside them. She saw that they were reading the fans comments, and almost all of them were the sweetest things she had ever seen.

"A very good one," Caitlyn told her. "Considering all of us have one...Besides you, that is. C'mon, Torres. Get with the program."

"Alright. Alright," She held her hands up in surrender, allowing Caitlyn to pull out her laptop and begin.

* * *

_Nate_Black: Everyone, welcome Mitchie_Torres to Twitter! Hurry! Go and follow her! :)_

_Caitlyn_Geller: Welcome my BEST friend to Twitter: Mitchie_Torres. She finally got with the program! ;)_

_Jason_Green_C3: My baby sister has a Twitter! Mitchie_Torres! Go and follow her; if you think she's adorable...wait until you get to know her. She's not what she seems!_

_Mitchie_Torres: Jason_Green_C3, you may have just earned yourself one less follower... You have been warned._

_Shane_Gray: Word on the grapevine is that Mitchie has finally decided to join the rest of us in the twenty first century, and get a Twitter. Welcome, Mitchie_Torres! :)_

_Mitchie_Torres: And yes, guys. Jason_Green_C3, Caitlyn_Geller, Nate_Black, Shane_Gray and I are still sitting in the same room as one another..._

_Caitlyn_Geller: Mitchie_Torres, don't pretend like you don't enjoy it._

She laughed, causing the others to look up at her, and then join in. They were lazy, and this might become a normal thing.

In an hour, she had gained three hundred followers. Each hour, the number seemed to double. She teased the boys that some day, she would have more followers than the three of them put together.

"Might happen sooner than you think," Shane announced, sharing a smile with the other two band members.

"What do you three know that we don't? Caitlyn?"

"Don't look at me! I'm _just_ as confused as you are!"

"Well, Mitch." Nate began. "We wanted to talk to you about something..."

* * *

"Oh, god..." She mumbled as he picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder as they made their way across the parking lot.

She had said yes, of course, hesitantly, but it had still been a yes. And yet, right after the words had left her mouth, she became frozen with fear.

That's when Shane, with a quick glance at the other three, reached over and grabbed her.

The others trailed behind, laughing and elbowing each other. It was only as Caitlyn pretended to pout, did Nate scoop her up to swing her onto his back.

Jason sighed, feeling like a third wheel. Hayley wouldn't be joining them until they reached Paris, the next week, and he felt so alone.

"Am I allowed to change my answer?" Mitchie demanded as she was placed back on her feet in the recording bus.

"No," Shane answered, wrapping his hand around her own. "You're _doing_ this, Mitch. You need to show the world who you are."

"And this is the way to do it?!"

"Yes," Nate told her, blocking the door. She wasn't going anywhere, they knew it, and she knew it too. "If Jake wants to be a jerk, then you're going to get back at him the best way that you can."

"You showed them my song," She mumbled, she was trying to be mad at him, but it was so hard. "Didn't you,"

"Yup. Glad to. Now let's get started,"

"Hey, guys." Jack Fields greeted as the three boys grabbed their guitars from the wall. Caitlyn dropped down beside him, one of the only people would be allowed to see the album before it came out in the next few months. "Mitchie! Are you excited?"

"No," Mitchie grumbled, though there was an evident smile on her face. "Okay..._Yes_. Maybe a little."

"Great," He grinned, tossing her a pair of head phones. "Let's get started. Shall we?"

She let out a shaky breath as she slipped them on. Caitlyn had brought her song book, but she didn't need it.

She knew her words by heart.

Because Michelle Elizabeth Torres was about to release her first, miniture album, double disked with that of Connect 3's.

* * *

She giggled.

"And what's so funny?" Jason asked, dropping down next to her. They were on the second bus now, the others taking advantage of their downtime by taking a nap.

"Some of the fans comments," Mitchie admitted, she relaxed as he drew his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and showed him the screen. "A lot of them think that Shane and I have been secretly dating since I came to live with you. And than my relationship with Jake was just a cover up."

She sighed. "Man. People are crazy."

Jason poked her waist. "Mitch. They'll just get crazier. But remember. Almost all of them love you."

She shot him a wary look. "Thanks..."

"You know what I mean."

He squeezed her shoulders before standing up and stretching. "Not to be like the others, but I need a nap. You gonna be okay?"

"Yes." Mitchie answered, shoving him. "I'm pretty sure that you can leave me alone for an _hour_. The bus is moving, I promise, I won't fall down the stairs, or almost get kidnapped by a psycho...Again."

"Not funny, Michelle Elizabeth."

She smiled back at him innocently. Her phone buzzed, turning her attention away from her brother, who shook his head and walked away.

It was another Tweet, from someone she didn't follow, but they obviously followed her. This time, it was different.

_XoXo_Sierra: Now this is what true friendship looks like. None of that Hollywood crap. Mitchie_Torres, I miss you. :)_

Attached, was a picture of the pair, taken almost a year ago. They were at a party, Sierra drunk off her ass, had her arm thrown around her, while Mitchie made a peace sign at the camera.

They looked so..._happy_. But that part of her life was over and done with.

She was fuming. Normally, she would have been the bigger person, but Sierra was either stupid, didn't know how to take a hint, or...She was just using her. again.

_Mitchie_ Torres: XoXo_Sierra Yeah...It's just kind of hard to miss somebody that I don't know anymore._

After sending her reply, she ran over and shook her curly haired, best friend.

"What?!" Nate demanded, jumping up, and slamming his head on the bunk as he did so. Alarm swept across his face as he grabbed her, looking for anything that may be broken.

"What..." She trailed off, smacking him. "What are you doing?! I'm _fine_!"

"You're not hurt?!"

"No!"

"Mitchie!" He hissed, shooting his pillow at her. "Then why the hell did you wake me up?!"

"Can we record one more song to add to my album?"

"Umm...I guess so..." Nate sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Why the hell did you wake me up?"

"Focus, Natie." She went to smack him again, he caught her hand this time and held it before she could try again. "I have another idea for a song. Do you think we could add it to the album?"

"If it was _really_ good," He began, suddenly catching onto the idea. "Which, if you're singing it, and if we're writing it, the it'll defiantly make the album! Let's do it!"


	57. Back Around

_Are Connect 3's sweetheart Mitchie Torres and Zombie High Heart Throb Jake Ryan really over?!_

Jake appeared on the screen, his face solemn and lonely looking.

_"We're kind of on a break. I think it's the only choice really."_ The handsome blonde lied. He was such a liar. Such a no good, gorgeous, liar.

"_Turn it off_," Mitchie begged. "Please."

Though, no one seemed to hear her plea.

_"Otherwise, it would be especially hard, especially if she's going to do international dates too."_

"Guys!"

"Sorry," Shane muttered as he grabbed the remote. "What a dick."

The oldest band member opened his mouth to speak, but the eighteen year old shot him a dark look.

"Jason. I swear to god, if you say _language_ _one more time, I will beat your ass_."

"I stopped saying that a long time ago!" Jason defended. "I was going to agree with you, Shane. Jake is a dick. If I ever see him again, I'm going to beat his ass."

"I'm _right_ there with you,"

"This might not be the right time to say this..." Nate drew out, offering his best friend an apologetic smile. "But our opening act just quit on the show tonight."

"Oh no." She shook her head. "Not happening. No way,"

"Where are they gonna find another one?" Caitlyn demanded, wrapping her hand around the brunet's wrist and pulling her back down, as she tried to sprint away. "C'mon, Mitch! You can do this!"

"I don't want to do this, Cait!"

"C'mon, Mitch." Jason pleaded, catching hold of her hand. "Please? Please? Please?!"

"Jason, you sound like you're five years old again."

"You didn't even _know_ me when I was five!"

"_So_?!"

"And I bet Sierra will be there tonight," Shane reminded her.

Mitchie suddenly smiled, her eyes lighting up just the same as the thought crossed her mind. "And what better place to debut a new song, dedicated to an old friend?"

* * *

"Oh gosh." She muttered, her hands shaking.

She was doing two songs, from the new album, and this would be the first time anyone heard them.

"I'm gonna be right backstage." Caitlyn whispered, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace.

It was a small, select audience, more of a private show. Maybe only a hundred of so were in attendance.

The boys, along with their band, were backing her up as she would perform.

"Remember," Nate muttered as he took hold of her hands. "The first song is to show that you're still you, no matter what kind of life you're living."

"And the second one?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

"That that _bi_...Damn it, Caitlyn. Stop calling her that, would you?!"

"Calling her like I see her, babe!"

"Nate...? Focus...Please."

He laughed. "Right. Sorry. The second song is showing that she's not going to manipulate you into letting her back into your life, and that you are officially done with her...You are done with her, right, Mitch?"

"Oh defiantly,"

* * *

"Hello Richmond!" Jason called. Usually, Shane was one to greet the audience. But since she was performing, for really, the first time, it was his turn to announce her.

"I know you guys were expecting to hear Forsaken Fit tonight..." The fans screamed, as they had when the boys walked out. "But unfortunately, they couldn't be here tonight..."

The crowd grew quite, before one girl screamed her name. Then, everyone else was doing the same with much more enthusiasm than she ever expected.

"But luckily, a very good friend of ours agreed to come out and do a few songs for you guys!"

Shane took his own mic, a grin evident on his face as he called her to the out onto the stage. "Everyone welcome, _Mitchie Torres_!"

Caitlyn had to practically shove her out, Nate grabbed hold of her hands and pulled her the rest of the way.

"As many of you have heard, my little sister is going to have her own album released with our own. And she wanted to let you guys hear a few of the tracks!"

He leaned down and kissed her head before adjusting the weight of his guitar strap. They were all ready to play; Nate on the drums, Jason and Shane were on guitars.

"This first one is for anyone who thinks that my life, isn't what it use to be."

_I am confident but_  
_I still have my moments._  
_Baby, that's just me._  
_I'm not a supermodel,_  
_I still eat McDonald's._  
_Baby, that's just me._  
_Well, some may say I need to be afraid_  
_Of losing everything._  
_Because of where I_  
_Had my start and where I made my name_  
_Well everything's the same_  
_In the la-la land machine, machine._  
_Who said I can't wear my converse with my dress?_  
_Well, baby, that's just me!_  
_And who said I can't be single_  
_And have to go out and mingle_  
_Baby, that's not me, no, no._  
_Well, some may say I need to be afraid_  
_Of losing everything._  
_Because of where I_  
_Had my start and where I made my name_  
_Well, everything's the same_  
_In the la-la land._  
_Tell me do you feel the way I feel_  
_'Cause nothing else is real_  
_In the la-la land appeal_  
_Some may say I need to be afraid_  
_Of losing everything_  
_Because of where I_  
_Had my start and where I made my name_  
_Well, everything's the same_  
_In the la-la land machine_  
_Well, I'm not gonna change_  
_In the la-la land machine_  
_I will stay the same_  
_In the la-la land_  
_Machine_  
_Machine_  
_Machine_  
_I won't change anything in my life_  
_I won't change anything in my life_  
_I'm staying myself tonight_  
_I'm staying myself tonight_  
_La la la la la_

The fans were on their feet, screaming her name all over again. Looking backstage, she could see Caitlyn, her arms thrown in the air.

She let out a high whistle, which she could just barely make out over all of the other noise.

"How many of you have ever had someone who constantly let you down?" Mitchie found herself asking, while Shane and Jason played a few teasing notes on their guitars.

"This last one is for you. You know _who you are_."

_What did I do to deserve this?_  
_Tell me the truth and don't lie_  
_You're pretty good at that but, no not this time_  
_You walk around like you run the world,_  
_Running your mouth, and talking about me now,_  
_They think that you're the perfect girl,_  
_They're gonna see everything so get back_  
_It's gonna come back around_  
_You know that this town is just too small and I'm too tall to take this again_  
_You're just too adverse but I got news_  
_You know you're just gonna lose_  
_Everything and everyone that mean so much to you._  
_I'm feeling bad for,_  
_You are alone and nobody cares that you are_  
_One look into your eyes,_  
_Easy to see what you could be but you're not_  
_I say it's time that you give in,_  
_Since it was real, you cannot fulfill, you're over_  
_You feel your heart beat deep down_  
_Ignoring the shame of causing this pain,_  
_Just get out_  
_You keep hearing everything that people say_  
_And you cant take the pain another day_  
_It's coming back around_  
_I told you this town was just too small_  
_You're just too adverse but you can stop now_  
_It's gonna come back around_  
_And around and around and around and around_  
_Yeah yeah_  
_It's gonna come back around_  
_You know that this town is just too small and I'm too tall  
__Too tall_  
_To take this, take this again_  
_You're just too adverse but I've got news_  
_You know you're just gonna lose_  
_Everything and everyone that mean so much to you_  
_Everything and everyone that mean so much to you_  
_Everything and everyone that mean so much to you._

* * *

"Mitchie,"

Like after any concert, no matter how small, there was the meet and greet, sometimes welcomed, sometimes dreaded, and sometimes, in between feelings.

There she was, thousand of guys and gals alike, telling her how amazing she was, how clever her songs were, and how beautiful her voice was.

There was one person who she was dreading to have to see. And just as he had predicted, she was there.

Sierra stood there. There seemed to be an unreadable expression crossed her face as she sauntered over, and without breaking her stride, wrapped her hand around the brunet's wrist and dragged her off before the eighteen year old could protest.

"What the hell," She hissed, when they were far enough away. "Was that?!"

"The truth," Mitchie replied with an easy smile. "And my way of telling it."

"That's not fair and you know it!"

"You told me to_ figure it out for myself_, Si." She spat, dodging the girl's hand as it once again reached for her own. "So forgive me if I'm the only one who isn't buying into your little act."

"It's not an _act_!" Sierra cried. "God, Mitchie! Can't you just _get over it_?!"

Mitchie reeled back, as if the blonde had slapped her. Her _ex_ best friend once again made a move to comfort her, never expecting that the sixteen year old would _shove_ her away.

"Mitch, wait...I didn't..."

She didn't respond; tears streamed down her cheeks as the memories from the crash burned through her mind.

The backdoor to the ally way swung open, and all too familiar footsteps echoed as they made their way to her.

"Mitch!" Caitlyn called, relief in her voice. She reached out and pressed her hand into the brunet's shoulder, turning her slowly to look her in the eyes. "Mitch...?"

And then she was in her best friend's tight, protective, embrace.

"What the hell did you _do_?" Nate demanded. Jason, reluctantly had agreed to stay behind and deal with their fans. Nate and Shane, the second Caitlyn had run out of the room, had been hot at her heels.

Now, instead of confronting the blonde, he moved to wrap his arms around both girls.

Shane took one look at his best friend, and then turned to face her old one.

"What did you say to her?" He demanded, his voice low, dangerous.

"_Nothing_. I would _never_ hurt her."

"Bull!" Caitlyn hissed, starting at her. Shane's hand around her wrist, stopped her intentions. "I _heard_ what you said to her! If you wanna ruin your own life, then go ahead! But don't you _dare_ drag Mitchie down with you, you self-centered bitch!"

"Cait." He warned, shoving her back. "She's right. You need to stay away from her. Mitchie is _finally_ in a good place, and you can't screw this up for her."

"Mitchie!" Sierra pleaded, as the others tried to lead her away. "Remember all of our plans? We were gonna be each other's Maid Of Honors. I was going to be your kids God-Mother, just like you were gonna be the God-Mother for my kids. Can you _really_ just _forget_ about everything we've been through?"

Mitchie stared at her, her eyes stone cold as Shane's hand wrapped around her own, tugging slightly.

"Easily."


	58. As Photogenic As Photogenic Gets

"Alright. Mitchie, look alive."

She sighed, and batted her eye lids heavily. It was just after eight AM, and they were _only_ four seconds into getting ready for their photo shoot.

She had tried to refuse; insisting that the album's cover would sell just fine without her own picture on the cover.

The boys begged to differ.

Caitlyn, as well, had been dragged along because Nate, let alone Shane, didn't feel comfortable leaving her by herself.

She was in an unusually good mood for the time of morning, and it made Mitchie wonder just what, exactly, was she up to.

"_Noooo_!" She whined as Jason pulled her from the van.

"Mitchie, just..."

"_Noooooooo_!"

He gave the others a tired shrug, before bending over and grabbing her legs, sending her flying over her shoulder.

"Jase! Put. Me. _Down_!"

"You don't wanna walk, then you're getting carried." He replied. Each time she hit him, his grip on her legs just seemed to tighten. "Why are _you_ complaining? _I'm_ the one who's doing all the work."

"...Did you just call me _fat_?"

"_What_?! _No_! Stop putting words into my mouth, Michelle Elizabeth Torres!"

"Middle name me one more time..." She began, trailing off to let her threat sink in.

"You'll what?" Jason retorted, poking her. "Actually learn to threaten me?"

"I'll tell them your _real_ middle name!"

That did make him stop; he practically dropped her, setting her down so he could look her dead in the eye.

"Don't. You. _Dare_."

"Too late," Mitchie replied with a smug smile. She turned to the others, their eyes full of amusement as she announced. "When Jason started using Grandma's maiden name as his last name, he also lied about his middle name. Meet Jason _Winston Tiberius_ Torres!"

He blushed, much like his sister did, all the while glaring at her.

"Two can play at that game, Michelle." Jason warned, talking over their friends laughter. "_Mitchie_ hasn't been very honest with you guys either."

"Jason..."

"I'm pleased to introduce Miss. Michelle Elizabeth _Seraphina_ Torres."

Tears streamed down the trio's cheeks as the siblings stared each other down. Then, suddenly, his arms were around her as they too, laughed.

"I dropped her second name," He admitted. "While she dropped both of mine. So, now you guys know our biggest secret. But if it gets out to the fans, then one of you will _pay_."

* * *

"Guitars for Jason and Nate!" He called, his tone impatient. He was actually a nice guy, the photographer, but screw up once, and you would get it. "Please. _Hurry_!"

He looked down at her, and rolled his eyes. They hadn't spent a lot of time together that day, if they tried to talk, a stylist or someone from wardrobe was there, pulling them away.

They hadn't even done their first shot!

Mitchie mimicked him, careful not to get caught and berated by their photographer, though she thought that Shane would have something to say about it.

He looked good, dressed casually in a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black t-shirt and a pair of black converse.

Nate wore a checkered button up with a gray t-shirt underneath. You could just barely see the chain of his diabetic necklace that he had taken to wearing. He wore a pair of dark jeans, and black and white checkered slip on shoes. A red guitar, one that he didn't own, was slung across his left shoulder.

Jason wore a scarf, he loved scarves. He had on a long, white sleeved shirt and a tan vest; like Nate, his jeans were dark. He was the only member to wear boots, leather motorcycle-like boots. He too, had a guitar strapped to his shoulders.

Mitchie blushed when he told her that she looked beautiful.

Her hair was straight, as she usually wore it. She had a dark pink, flowy shirt on with a hanging necklace. Her jeans were light darker than the boys, and she wore a pair of tan, moccasin boots. Shane drew her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she slipped hers around his waist.

"And one, two, three..."

* * *

They laughed as Caitlyn revealed what she had been up to all morning.

They sat on the couch, squished together as they usually did because they couldn't bear the thought of being separated.

To 'make room', Caitlyn was conventionally sitting on her boyfriend's lap. Mitchie sat in between Jason and Shane, the latter of which, had his arm around her once again.

She had been taking candid photos of the group, all day.

In one, one that they had already decided, as a group, to veto. It just didn't make sense.

Mitchie was sitting on a bike, her hair made out to look like it was flying behind her. The boys were in the air, having jumped, with strands of ribbons behind them.

A favorite, was an outside shot. Jason was on the left end, followed by Nate, with Mitchie leaning into his slightly. Shane took up the right side. It was a relaxed shot, the type that they would want for their album cover.

In another, they had a beach background. Shane and Mitchie stood in the middle, her arm on his shoulder as the two others flanked them, the guitars once again on their shoulders.

There was another really good one, that would make it hard to choose. They were lying on the grass, in a semi circle. Her head was on the eighteen year olds shoulder while the sixteen year old lay down beside her. Jason lay next to him, again looking relaxed.

Her personal favorite, was one that would never make the album. It had been a moment of fun, one of the only moments of fun they had allowed to have that morning. The shot proved that Caitlyn Geller was a genius.

They were in a circle, just a fraction of their faces showed. Her arm was around the eighteen year olds waist, their arms crossed as his own was tight around her waist. Nate was holding her, though not as tightly as Shane was. They were all laughing, Jason's expression the best, because he had told the joke.

"How bout one more?" Caitlyn asked as a mirrored image of the five appeared on her computer. "One that I can actually post, without having to pay a hefty fine because your photographer is completely insane?"

Shane rolled his eyes, but moved so that his arm was once again around her waist. Caitlyn stretched her arms out, cupping Mitchie's cheek as Jason's hand found her own.

"Send that to me, Cait?"

"Sure thing,"

Later, as she got ready to go to bed, she took her phone, and checked her Twitter.

She posted the picture Caitlyn had taken, with the caption:

_Mitchie_Torres: With the lovely Jason_Green_C3, Nate_Black, Caitlyn_Geller, and Shane_Gray: This is what real friendship looks like._

She sighed, thought it through, and then sent out another Tweet to her fans.

_Mitchie_Torres: Don't believe everything you read, or watch on HotTunes. If I'm 'such' good friends with someone, then you will defiantly see them in my life._

_Mitchie_Torres: It takes two people to make a friendship work. A one sided friendship is never worth it._


	59. Interview: On The Road

"Thank you guys _so_ much for doing this on such short notice," The reporter said as she climbed into the van, alongside the group of five.

Caitlyn giggled as the camera landed on her, her mouth full of food. Mitchie elbowed her.

"God," She muttered, trying to look disgusted, but she too, was smiling. "You are so gross, Cait!"

"Whatever. You love me,"

"Not a problem," Nate called, drawing the attention away from the two girls. "We're glad to do it. So long as you don't mind thar we're eating, while we do the interview. We didn't really get to eat breakfast this morning."

All eyes turned to Shane, who gave the group an apologetic smile. "A guy needs his beauty sleep,"

"Then when is it gonna start working?" Mitchie mumbled, praying that he didn't hear her.

The group laughed as he held her in a headlock, messing up her perfectly straight hair as he gave her a repeated nuggie.

"Who is," The reporter questioned. "Your celebrity crush?"

"Emma Watson."

Shane.

"Carrie Underwood."

Jason.

"Sophia Bush."

Nate: who earned a beating from his actual girlfriend.

"Babe! I'm with _you_, aren't I?!"

"You're an idiot," Mitchie told him, patting down on his curls. He, gently, knocked her hand away, shooting her a warning look all the while. "Sorry, but it had to be said. There are things you should say to calm a girl down, but that is not one of them."

"Fill in the blank: When I was 17, I was..."

Jason blushed as he spoke. "I was a total nerd and had like two friends, and then I left my school and got signed to a record deal. Also, I got my license. It was awesome."

Mitchie grimaced at the memory; obviously, he had been sixteen when he moved out, but before Camp Rock, and the fame, he _had_ been a nerd.

"I released my first record and had my first year of awesome touring."

"I'm not 17 and never have been." Nate reminded them, gesturing to the two other sixteen year olds in the group. "But I hope to have gone multi-platinum and to travel the world."

"Where would you go to college if you could?"

The youngest band member laughed. "I visited Northwestern over this past summer. I've always wanted to go to school in Chicago."

"What would you major in?"

"English." He answered, without a second thought. Nate Black was a true writer, and if anyone could rock at being an English major, it was he himself who could.

"And you guys?"

Shane, laughed nervously for reasons only known to himself. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that..."

"I really love being a musician.." Jason offered.

"I'm enjoying that." The eighteen year old added. "Until it doesn't work out, then we'll talk college."

"You guys have such great style now, but has it always been that great? What was your favorite BTS look ever?"

"Remember back in the day when the GAP jean jacket was, like, on fire?"

Shane sighed and rubbed his forehead. If Shane Gray blushed, then he would have, because the memory was one of the more embarrassing. "Me and Jase rocked those jean jackets everywhere. We took a picture in those jean jackets and we were like: _Dude! We should start a band. That'd be so cool_. We tried to write a song and we didn't finish it."

"I found the picture," Mitchie announced, fishing it out of her backpack. "If anyone wants to see it,"

"You little sneak!" Jason reached out to grab it, only to miss. "You went through my room before we left for the tour! Didn't you?"

"Guilty!" She sang as Shane grabbed her. The camera moved to the pair, playfully wrestling before he snatched it out of her hand, shoving it back into his pocket.

"And Mitchie? A lot of fans have been wondering about some of your more recent tweets. Are they aimed at your old friend, Sierra?"

"I don't have loads of friends," She admitted. "I used to, but then I realized: _Do any of them actually care?"_

She continued, smiling at the four. "Now I have people who, if I break my leg in the middle of the night, will come to the hospital with me. Or they'll answer the phone at 4 a.m. if I need them."

"And...Caitlyn. A lot of the fans have reported seeing you and Nate out and about together lately. I know that you two were very open about your relationship a few months ago. Is there a reconnection going on, or...?"

"Honestly? When you have something that is _very_ precious to you, there's no need to make it so public and once I open up, I'm going to have no mystery."

"Lately, rumors have been swirling that you and Shane have been hanging out a lot and could possibly be more than just that."

Shane glanced over at the sixteen year old, and then back at the camera. "Is that a question...?"

"He's my best friend." Mitchie set the record straight. "He's always been my best friend. He always will be my best friend. He's amazing."

"There are so many things that have happened over time with Mitchie and I. I think we have a really strong bond and a really good relationship. We've seen a lot of life together at this point."

"We've always had an incredible bond." She found herself adding, though there was no need. They had put the rumor to rest so many times. "An incredible friendship. He knows me better than I know myself, and I know him better than he knows himself."

"Well," She said as Oliver opened the van door. "Thank you guys so much."

"No problem!" The five chorused. As soon as she was gone, they looked at each other and let out a long held in groan.

"_Why_?" Shane cried dramatically, making her giggle as she shoved him. "How many times are we going to have to put that damn...Don't even think about saying it, Jason. That damn rumor to rest?"

"Since you guys are close," Nate told them, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. He kissed the side of her head. "Probably a lot."

Jason nudged her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mitch. You don't have anything to worry about. It's not like there's anything going on between you guys,"

The pair let out a nervous laugh that seemed to go unnoticed by the rest of the group.

"Yeah..._Right_..."

* * *

_Mitchie_Torres: There's been a lot of rumors lately that I'm dating one of my best friends, Shane. I can promise my entire career that I'm not. We've NEVER dated. He's incredible, but we don't have feelings for each other in that way. I love you guys, and I wouldn't lie to you about that._


	60. Maybe Not Right Now

_Mitchie_Torres: Me: Never have I ever wanted to cry like this while writing a song. Nate: I have... But instead I just make the guitar bleed. hahahaha!_

_Mitchie_Torres: Can't WAIT for you guys to hear the album! Xoxoxo!_

_Mitchie_Torres: Shane is so cool._

_Mitchie_Torres: Stupid Shane took my phone. Sorry ya'll!_

"You idiot." She hissed, smacking him. "When you're not looking, I'm gonna take your phone and shove it up your..."

"Watch it." Jason warned her tiredly; he was lying on the floor of the room, his eyes closed as he tried to get some sleep.

Mitchie's phone buzzed, and she tore her attention away from the annoying eighteen year old, to look at who had tweeted her.

_Nate_Black: Mitchie_Torres. Hey everyone...We should get my personal favorite FLFA (First Letter Flip Around) #TitchieMorres as a TT also! Haha._

She glanced up at him warily. "...What?"

"Just have fun with it!"

_Mitchie_Torres: Titchie Morres_

_Jason_Green_C3: Gason Jreen_

_Caitlyn_Geller: Gaitlyn Celler_

_Nate_Black: Bate Nlack_

_Shane_Gray: Shane...Oh, just fuck it._

She elbowed him. "Oh _very_ mature. What if your fans see Shane 'All Mighty' Gray swearing!"

He looked down at her, unamused. "Shut up, Mitch."

"Make me."

"If that's how you wanna play..." Shane drew out, right before he grabbed her around the waist. "Then that's how we're gonna play, Michelle."

His grip tightened as she continued to struggle against him. His arm moved to cover her mouth; she did the most childish thing she knew how to do.

She bit him.

"Ouch! Damn it! Michelle Elizabeth Torres. You are dead! No exceptions! You've got five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One..."

She was out the door before he could even hit the number three.

Of course, being Shane Gray, he was strong and fast, and he could catch her within five seconds.

He did catch her within five seconds.

He divebombed her this time; sending her crashing down onto the carpet in the hallway. It was most likely dirty, but this didn't stop him at all.

His knees pinned her arms down while he moved his hands to cup her face.

"Shane! Get off of me!"

"Not this time, Michelle!"

"Shay!"

"Mitch!"

And yet, instead of tickling her until she couldn't breathe; like he had planned, he leaned in closer and...

Once again, he kissed her.

And she did nothing to stop him.

Without breaking their kiss, Shane got off of her, pulling her up to sit on her knees as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Wait!" Mitchie cried suddenly, shoving him away. She got up, backing as far away as possible until she hit the wall,

"Mitchie," He started, guilt written all over his face.

"You said we couldn't be together," She hissed, tears threatening to escape. "And then you kiss me?! Again?! What the hell is wrong with you, Shay?!"

"Mitch..."

"I think we just need to forget that this ever happened," Mitchie told him, as she backed away towards her door. "Okay? I'm just gonna go back to my room, and I'll see you at dinner. Okay?"

"Mitch..." He tried again, not quite knowing how to say anything else. Eventually, he started towards his own room, defeated.

She opened her own door, and within twenty seconds, she was in Caitlyn's embrace. She began to sob, which only made Nate move quicker as he got off the bed to grab her.

"Mitch?"

"I just..." She managed to get out, before another sob escaped her throat. Nate glanced at Caitlyn.

He grabbed her, picking her up as he brought her back over to the bed. She was more on less sitting on his lap, not that his girlfriend would ever say anything. If their girl was _this_ upset, then it would take both of them to help her.

"Mitch?!" Nate's voice now sounded alarmed as he continued to rock her back and forth, one arm across her shoulders while his free hand rubbed her back. "What is it? What happened?"

"Mitchie?!" Jason called, throwing the door open. How, he had gotten in, they would never know. "Mitch? What's going on? Why are you crying?"

"Jason," Mitchie whispered, her voice hoarse. She pulled away from her best friend, only to throw her arms around her brother.

She could never tell them.

* * *

"What the _fuck_ did you do?" She hissed, yanking him out of his chair with such force. Neither knew that she could be _that_ strong.

"Watch the language, Caitlyn Double M Geller." He replied in the same tone. He wasn't in the mood for guessing games, as to why she was so pissed off at him _this_ time.

He already knew.

"Mitchie can barely _talk_!" Caitlyn informed him, grabbing his arm to hold him there. "What did you do?"

Shane shook his head, guilt was the only thing he could feel. And it was because of Michelle Elizabeth Seraphina Torres, that he _felt_ so guilty. He couldn't stay away from her, no matter how hard he tried.

"I kissed her," He muttered, finally answering her question, rather bitterly. "Again."

"Shane..."

He wasn't expecting her to hit him. Of course, even when he wasn't expecting it, he would still be prepared.

His hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist before her own hand could even make contact with his precious face.

"I didn't _mean_ to, Cait," Shane told her, spinning her to sit down in his former seat. "It just kind of happened."

"Right," Caitlyn was one to be bitter this time. "_Just_ like it wasn't supposed to happen the _last_ time, right? God, Shane! I don't _get_ you! I'm _all_ for you two being together, but you can't keep getting her hopes up! I mean, she dumped Jake for _you_. So, if you don't realize just how much you mean to her, then you're just pathetic."

"Caitlyn," A different voice warned.

Nate.

He was walking towards them at a slow pace, his arm wrapped in an unbreakable hold around the brunet's waist. Her eyes stayed glued to the ground, but when they were near enough, she reached out and grabbed Caitlyn by the hand.

"I love you, Cait." Mitchie told her. "But I need to learn to stick up for myself every now and then. Go back upstairs, please? We'll meet you guys up there in a few,"

Caitlyn was ready to protest, but her boyfriend already had her around the waist, lifting her up just to toss her over his shoulder.

"We'll be right upstairs." Nate called over his shoulder, towing her away.

"It's all fair in love and war to push him into the pool!" Caitlyn screamed as she was carried out of the private pool deck. "It's the _least_ you could do!"

Despite the situation, both Shane and Mitchie began to laugh, giving each other wary smiles in the process. All too soon, they were alone again.

"Mitch," He muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I..."

But Shane Gray was cut off by the small, sixteen year old brunet throwing her arms around his neck. Her lips landed on his almost instantly.

His arms snaked around her waist, lifting her off the ground and holding her there.

"I..." He managed to say, after she pulled away.

There was a first time for everything, and for the first time in his life, Shane Gray was at a loss for words. Michelle Torres was _unpredictable_.

"It's right," Mitchie told him, her arms were still wound around him. She never wanted to let go. "It's right, Shay. It _really_ is. But maybe it's not _right now_."

"I'll always be there for you." He said, finally regaining some sort of composure. "How ever long you need, Mitch. However long _I_ need. Because, I'm _never_ letting you go."

* * *

**You guys are _amazing_! I'm _so, so, so, so, so, so_ sorry for being so slow, and excuses can only go so far, but I started my second semester last week, with brand new classes, and my time's been a little divided. But fear not, I'm back! Next chapter tomorrow!**

**P.S: I read _all_ of your reviews. They get me through a bad day. So thank you, darlings, and enjoy the new chapter :)**

**Love to _all_ of you!**

** 3**


	61. And The Bitch Is

"_Why_, exactly," Jason began, pausing for dramatic effect. He allowed his gaze to settle on his sister, who sat across from him, sharing the hotel's love seat. "Does it feel like I'm the only one who's not in on some big secret?"

The four teenagers shared a look, Caitlyn going into hysterics while Nate shot his best friend a smug look. Shane looked nervous for a moment.

If one of them told Jason about the kiss, Mitchie would become Connect 3's new lead singer, while thousand of fans searched for him remains.

Not that they would ever be able to find them, because Jason could be a genius when he wanted to be. And he could _very_ easily hide the body of an eighteen year old, arrogant pop star, who happened to be in love with his band mate's little sister.

Not that he would ever tell _Mitchie_ that.

"Alright. Fine, Jase," Mitchie let out a dramatic sigh, getting to her feet. With his nerves growing, Shane grabbed her around the waist, planting his hand firmly over her mouth.

Nate and Caitlyn pulled him back...Apparently, they wanted to see him dead as well.

"We can't get anything past you, Jason." She continued, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Well, earlier tonight, Shane was kind of being a jerk, and I went down to the pool later to confront him, and I ended up pushing him into the pool."

"You weren't there," Nate added, giving the eighteen a meaningful look. "And it was just _so_ funny. We felt bad that you weren't there to witness it, so we agreed not to tell you. But Mitch is right, we can't hide _anything_ from you, Jason The Genius,"

"You really think I'm a genius?" He asked hopefully.

"No," He replied cheerfully.

"But wait," Jason began, turning his attention back to his sister. "Why were you so hysterical earlier?"

"I'm on my period," She snapped, growing impatient. "God. Is that enough of a reason for you?"

"No!" He blurted out, before rethinking his answer. "I mean...Yes! Talk to Caitlyn about that stuff, Mitch! Not _me_! God. No wonder you pushed him into the pool! You really should apologize, though!"

He walked away, muttering under his breath about how impossible women, let alone his own sister, were becoming.

* * *

He lied.

He told Jason that he had left his sunglasses down by the pool deck, and of course, he insisted that since _Mitchie_ had _pushed him into the pool_, that she should be the one to go and retrieve them with him.

Jason agreed, but he refused to let her leave until she apologized to him.

Apologize for something that never even happened.

But of course, as soon as Shane's back was turned, he high fived her, because anything they could do to mess with The Hot Head, was good.

"Seriously?" He muttered, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the stairs at a quicker pace than she would have liked. "_That's_ what you come up with? You pushed me into the pool?"

"It was Nate's idea," She defended, trying to free her hand. Instead, he stopped, grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. It was quicker than dragging her, anyway. "And besides, it _does_ sound like something I would do,"

"That is..." Shane trailed off, tightening his grip on her legs. "Very true, actually. Huh. I guess I need to thank Nate, and Caitlyn. She stopped me from killing _all_ of you,"

"What about _me_?" Mitchie pleaded as her feet once again touched the ground. "Aren't you going to thank _me_? I _did_ save your ass, after all. And I stopped those bizarre daydreams about Jason killing you, and hiding your body. By the way? I agree. No one would ever find you."

"How did you..." He stopped, shaking his head. He didn't _want_ to know.

"So. Are you gonna thank me? Or what?"

He grinned, reaching down and lacing his fingers through her own. He pulled her in close, his forehead just barely touching hers. "I have a _really_ great way of thanking you,"

"Oh really," She raised an eye brow, her smiling growing as he came even closer. "And what would that be?"

Shane chuckled, his lips brushed her cheek.

"This," He whispered hoarsely, before kissing her.

Mitchie pulled away for a moment, her eyes shinning. "That is a _really_ good way to thank someone."

"Yeah?" He muttered as her arms wrapped around his neck once again. Their lips met, longer this time, but all good kisses must come to an end.

Just not by her best friend, almost knocking into her as he shouts for the both of them,

"Nate," Mitchie demanded, gripping his arm. All that running could _not_ be good for his diabetes. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

"You need to come upstairs," He managed to tell them as she slipped his arm around her shoulders to support his weight. "Now. There's something you need to see,"

* * *

"What's going on?!" Shane demanded as he threw the door open, the sixteen year old boy and girl close behind.

Jason and Caitlyn were sitting side by side on the couch, they wore similar expressions. Anger, mixed with disgust.

"You need to watch this," Nate told her, grabbing her by the hand and leading her towards the TV. He picked up the remote and began to rewind another HotTunes report.

_Is Rock N Roll Princess, Mitchie Torres's ex-boyfriend, Zombie High Hottie, Jake Ryan dating the upcoming starlet's ex best friend?_

Her jaw fell, her eyes widening as a series of pictures, featuring the pair, appeared on the screen.

_Fans saw them out and about together this weekend, holding hands and even sharing a quick kiss on the cheek as Rivers met Ryan at his parents home earlier today._

"That bi..." She began, but Caitlyn covered her mouth with her hand.

"Just wait," She hissed. "It gets better."

_Some are beginning to speculate that Rivers is just dating Ryan to get back at Torres, for the betrayal she claims she suffered during her friendship with the sixteen year old Rock N Roll Princess. Others say that Ryan and Rivers were dating while Ryan was still with Torres._


	62. Welcome To Disney, Mitchie Torres

"What are you gonna do?" Nate whispered. He had been the one to follow her out, after she'd shut off the TV and silently left the room.

"Get Back," She replied distractedly, picking up his guitar. She began to strum a few familiar melodies, before handing it off. "Because I've been asked to perform at The Disney Channel Games, along with you guys. And I'm gonna hit him where it hurts,"

"Mitch..." He raised an eye brow. As amused as he was, he was also very wary. "Don't do something that you'll regret."

"I'm not going to regret this, Natie." Mitchie promised him, as she glanced towards the doorway. Sure enough, the eighteen year old Rock Star had come to find her.

"I've got a new idea for a song," She announced, grabbing his hand to bring him down beside her. "And I need an ending, for a duet, with someone who is a _lot_ better looking than Jake, The Jackass, Ryan."

Shane stared at her for a few seconds, before a grin spread across his face.

"Let's do it,"

* * *

"Hey, what's up?" Jake asked, addressing the crew. His _only_ intent was looking good in front of the camera, that's all he _ever_ cared about. "This is Jake Ryan."

"I'm Caitlyn Gellar," She responded, not exactly _thrilled_ with the situation she had been forced into.

But she would do anything for Mitchie, and if this asshat was going to interview her, then she was going to be around for it. "And this is the Inside Track."

"Today. we're going backstage at the Disney Channel Games."

"Music is a huge part of this years games, with performances with huge stars, Connect 3, and upcoming artist, Mitchie Torres! It's like...the _ultimate_ Disney Channel concert."

"And the coolest part is," He paused, long enough to smile at her, as if they were still _great _friends. "We got backstage passes to hang out and see everything that goes on backstage.

"We took our cameras along so you could see it too!"

* * *

"He's such an asshole," Caitlyn hissed, before the cameras were once again rolling. "I'm _so_ glad that we're leaving for Europe in the morning,"

"You hate flying," She replied, once again distracted. This was the _biggest_ concert she had ever done.

No pressure, or anything.

"You're going to do _great_, Mitch." She told her as she grabbed hold of her hand. The boys were being kept busy, and she couldn't help but think that Jake had something to do with that. "Trust me. If the guys were here, they'd be saying the same things. And just remember, I'll be there for you the _entire_ time. Backstage, but I'll be there,"

"Thanks, Cait."

"Right," Jake muttered as he walked over to them, mic in hand. "Let's get this over with."

"Great to see you too," Mitchie hissed, through clenched teeth. "Get ready for the best acting you've ever seen, _including_ your own."

* * *

"Wow, okay!" He said as the three forced out a laugh. "We're here with Mitchie Torres, she's about to go onstage n front of all these people. What's it like? What's the most amount of people you've ever preformed infront of?"

"I think like a hundred." Mitchie giggled, shooting Caitlyn a wary look in the process. "So, being here tonight is, umm, it's defiantly _monumental_."

"Okay, so you're here in front of ten thousand people, about to do like, the biggest performance of your life.."

If he was trying to make her nervous, it was _defiantly _working.

"No pressure!"

"No pressure!" Caitlyn repeated, forcing out another laugh. She could have stabbed him.

"What advice would you give, out there, to a girl or a guy out there, who wants to be a singer as well?" Jake asked, offering her his final question. He looked down at her, giving her a small, smug smile. The fans would believe that it was genuine.

"Don't give up!" Mitchie told the camera, her answer sincere. "Like, stay driven. I know this is totally cleche, but it's so true. Like, I have such supportive friends, you guys, I have such a supportive family, and just don't forget what your goals are."

* * *

"Now do me a favor," Caitlyn said sweetly. "And get the fuck away from us."

"Gladly," He hissed, spinning on his heel and walking away.

"Hey," Jason was at her side within seconds of him leaving. He didn't have long himself; it was almost time for her to go on, and it was almost time for them to be interviewed by the asshole himself, Jake Ryan. "Are you okay? God, Mitch. I'll kill him if you need me to."

She laughed, real this time, and burrowed her face into his chest. "I don't need my big brother going to jail just for my sake. But I love you for caring."

"Cait?" Nate demanded as his arms encircled her waist. "I know that look. What's on your mind?"

"I think he's trying to mess with her head," Caitlyn thought aloud. "To try and make her mess up,"

"Well then." Shane said, as he wandered over. "I'll have to mess with him a little bit then. Won't I?"

* * *

"What's up, guys?" Jake addressed the popular group. He was flying solo, as Caitlyn had decided that Mitchie needed her more.

In reality, she didn't want to be around for what Shane had planned.

"What's up, man?" Shane replied, as sarcastically as he could. The other two jerred as they backed him up.

Though, Nate's arms were hanging loosely around both of their shoulders, ready to pull one back if it got too intense.

No one messed with their girl.

"There's a lot of people here, and there are a lot of people here to scream _'Connect 3! Connect 3!'_" He muttered, a pint of jealously in his tone.

He had a lot to be jealous of.

"Oh, whatever."

Shane was being the leader, whereas it was usually Jason or Nate, and that scared him a little. He could be ruthless, and if it had anything to do with Mitchie, he wasn't about to hold back.

"Are you guys excited, or what's going on?" Jake asked.

"We're full of excitement." The eighteen year old answered truthfully, because that question was aimed at their fans. "We were here last year preforming, and this year preforming,. It's just a whole nother thing. There's a few more signs out there, and it's just such a good feeling."

"Yeah!" He said, with a forced smile. "Well, everyone's really, really pumped. What other artists are you excited about seeing tonight?"

"The Cheetah Girls, of course, Miss. Mitchie, brand new songs!" Jason smiled, a real smile. He was _so_ proud of his baby sister, and no one, especially not some little known actor, was going to make her feel small. "You never know, we may just be popping on stage with her. So there's a bunch of stuff for her, and we can't wait."

"And I think Mitchie's about to go on, right now!"

Jake wanted everyone to believe that they were still friends. If only he knew what she had planned...

"Yup," The lead singer answered shortly. "Mitchie's about to go on, right now."

"I wanna go in the front and watch her."

"You do that!" Kevin advised.

"I'm gonna go!"

Shane laughed, with all the sarcasm in the world. It wouldn't go unnoticed by the fans, and that's _exactly_ what he wanted.

"You do that, we'll stay here!"

"See you later, here." Jake threw his mic to Nate. Take this".

"Alright! Cool." Nate smiled at the camera, before the mic was taken from his hand, by the second oldest band member.

"So, he's gonna go watch, and we're gonna stand here."

"So this is an inside track." Jason took the mic, once again taking the lead. "With you, from us, Connect 3."

(Get Back)

(SoS)

(Burnin Up)

(This Is Me)


	63. Trash

"Just so we're clear on one thing," Jason muttered, grabbing him by the shirt. The cameras were off, and he no longer had to play nice. "You're not gonna get away with what you did to my little sister."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jake hissed, trying to pull away, but the twenty one year old was so much stronger.

"Oh, I think you do." His grip tightened. "Don't worry, though. Pretty soon, everyone will know _exactly_ who you are."

"What are you talking about?"

The lead guitarist laughed, bitterly, but he still laughed nonetheless. "You said that you wanted to see her set. Well, if I were you, then I'd get down there. It's a show you're not gonna want to miss."

"Your best friend is in love with your baby sister!" Jake blurted out, he knew just what button to push with Jason.

"What did you just say?" He demanded, turning back around.

"Why do you think Mitchie broke up with me?" He continued, his smirk growing. "Because she feels the _exact _same way about him."

Jake began to laugh, not expecting a hands to grab him, or for someone to knee him in the stomach.

"Now you listen to me, you sorry little bastard." Jason hissed, his tone dark and dangerous. "I don't know what you're talking about. But what I _do_ know, is that my sister deserves the world. And if there's anyone who could give it to her, I know Shane could. So I don't _care. _If Mitchie wants to love Shane, well, he'll always be a better choice than you."

* * *

"And now, please welcome, Mitchie Torres!"

She grinned as she walked on stage, her eyes lit up as she saw not one, but more than enough signs that spelled out her name, along with Connect 3's.

"Are you ready to get back?" She called out, as the music began to play. Connect 3's band backs her up proudly, even if right now, the boys themselves can't.

_Don't walk away like you always do, this time._  
_ Baby, you're the only thing that's been on my mind._  
_ Ever since you left, I've been a mess_  
_ (You won't answer your phone)_

_ I'll say it once, then I'll leave you alone_  
_ But I gotta let you know_

_ I wanna get back_  
_ To the old days_  
_ when the phone would ring_  
_ and I knew it was you._  
_ I wanna talk back_  
_ And get yelled at_  
_ Fight for nothing_  
_ Like we used to_  
_ Oh hold me [radio version],_  
_ Oh kiss me [album version],_  
_ like you mean it_  
_ Like you miss me,_  
_ 'cause I know that you do._  
_ I wanna get back_  
_ Get back with you_  
_ ayaaa..._

_ don't look at me that way, I see it in your eyes._  
_ Don't worry about me, I've been fine_  
_ I'm not gonna lie, I've been a mess_  
_ Since you've left_

_ Everytime I see you, it gets more and more intense._

_ I wanna get back_  
_ To the old days_  
_ when the phone would ring_  
_ and I knew it was you._  
_ I wanna talk back_  
_ And get yelled at_  
_ Fight for nothing_  
_ Like we used to_  
_ Oh hold me,_  
_ like you mean it_  
_ Like you miss me,_  
_ 'cause I know that you do._  
_ I wanna get back_  
_ Get back with you_

_ You were the only one I wanted_  
_ You were the first one I fell for_  
_ You're the only one that I'm in need of_  
_ And I don't want to be lonely anymore_

_ I wanna get back_  
_ To the old days_  
_ when the phone would ring_  
_ and I knew it was you._  
_ I wanna talk back_  
_ And get yelled at_  
_ Fight for nothing_  
_ Like we used to,_  
_ Oh hold me_  
_ like you mean it_  
_ Like you miss me_  
_ 'Cause you know you do_  
_ I wanna get back_  
_ Get back, with you_

_ (Get back!) Get Back!_  
_ (Get back!) Get Back!_  
_ (Get back!) Get Back!_  
_ (Get back!) Get Back!_

_ Oh hold me,_  
_ like you mean it_  
_ Like you miss me_  
_ 'cause I know that you do_

_ I wanna get back_  
_ Get back_  
_ I wanna get back_  
_ get back_  
_ Get back_  
_ Get back_

_ Get back!_

The crowd of guys and girls are already on their feet, screaming her name as she smiles once again.

And her smile seemed to grow as she noticed Jake, of all people, in the front row. It made her revenge all the sweeter.

"I've got another new song for you guys!" Mitchie called out to them, and then the music began.

_I've always been the kind of girl_  
_ That hid my face_  
_ So afraid to tell the world_  
_ What I've got to say_  
_ But I have this dream_  
_ Right inside of me_  
_ I'm gonna let it show_  
_ It's time to let you know_  
_ to let you know_

_ This is real_  
_ This is me_  
_ I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_  
_ Gonna let the light shine on me_  
_ Now I've found who I am_  
_ There's no way to hold it in_  
_ No more hiding who I wanna be_  
_ This is me_

_ Do you know what it's like_  
_ To feel so in the dark_  
_ To dream about a life_  
_ Where you're the shining star_  
_ Even though it seems_  
_ Like it's too far away_  
_ I have to believe in myself_  
_ It's the only way_

_ This is real_  
_ This is me_  
_ I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_  
_ Gonna let the light shine on me_  
_ Now I've found who I am_  
_ There's no way to hold it in_  
_ No more hiding who I wanna be_  
_ This is me_

As she hit the last note, the girls began to scream as the dark haired eighteen year old, flanked by her brother and best friend, joined her on stage. Nate lifted a hand in greeting as he began to play guitar.

They had written the song together only three days before; Nate had grudgingly agreed to hand over his song writing partner to his band mate, _just_ this once.

And then, a song was born. Along with a person who would make _any_ guy jealous. And Shane Gray would always put Jake, The Jackass, Ryan, to shame.

Shane grinned at her, reaching out to brush his hand across her back before beginning.

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_  
_ The reason that I'm singing_  
_ I need to find you_  
_ I gotta find you_  
_ You're the missing piece I need_  
_ The song inside of me_  
_ I need to find you_  
_ I gotta find you_

He surprised her, grabbing her hand as they continued to sing together. In the audience, Jake gritted his teeth.

_This is real_  
_ This is me_  
_ I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_  
_ Gonna let the light shine on me_  
_ Now I've found who I am_  
_ There's no way to hold it in_  
_ No more hiding who I wanna be_  
_ This is me_

_ You're the missing piece I need_  
_ The song inside of me_

_ This is me_

_ You're the voice I hear inside my head_  
_ The reason that I'm singing_

_ Now I've found who I am_  
_ There's no way to hold it in_  
_ No more hiding who I wanna be_  
_ This is me_

She began to laugh, and he smiled down at her, before bringing his arms to wrap around her in a tight embrace.

"Everybody give it up for Mitchie Torres!" Shane called into his mic. And then, he backed up, and picked up his guitar.

"I've got one last song for you guys," Mitchie told them. "Now, I didn't write it for the album, but I'm sure a lot of you have been watching HotTunes..."

She paused, as some of her new fans began a chorus of _boo's, _directed right at Jake.

"In every relationship," She continued. "You gotta have trust. And if that trust is broken...Then there can _be_ no relationship. So, Jake, this one's for you."

Nate and Jason began to play, Shane backing them up.

_Don't try to cover up your_  
_ Your new flame that's seething through your eyes_  
_ I can see it from ten feet away_  
_ And I know just who is burning,_

_ With every kiss you deny_  
_ So what makes you think that I still care_  
_ Or still want you anymore?_

_ So how long has this been going on?_  
_ And one more thing to tell me_  
_ Was she the reason_  
_ You stomped on my heart_  
_ And moved on so quickly_

_You can call it pure torture,_  
_ Watching your every move with her_  
_ Oh just the thought of it knowing_  
_ What's going on between you and her_  
_ Makes me sick_

_ I should've noticed_  
_I should've noticed,_  
_ When she came into the picture_  
_ You were always with her_  
_ And she's not leaving_

_So how long has this been going on?_  
_ And one more thing to tell me_  
_ Was she the reason you stomped on my heart?_

_ You called me shady_  
_Now she's your baby doll,_  
_ She took you over_  
_ Over to break it off_

_ And this time just maybe,_  
_ Maybe you went a little far_  
_ I'm sick of crying about_  
_About_  
_ Your new flame_  
_That's soon to be burn out_

_ So how long has this been going on?_  
_ And one more thing to tell me_  
_ Was she the reason_  
_ You stomped on my heart_  
_ And moved on so quickly?_

* * *

**Songs used:**

**Demi Lovato: Don't Forget  
Demi Lovato: Trash  
Demi Lovato: This Is Me (Ft Joe Jonas)**


	64. She Will Always Choose Him

"Mitchie." She hissed. She had all but dragged the sixteen year old outside, despite the security team's warning.

"Get off of me," Mitchie responded, shoving her away. They were far enough away for her liking, not enough for Sierra.

"What the hell was that?" Jake demanded, coming out of nowhere. "Some way of making all of my fans turn against me? Newsflash, they already _are_!"

"That's your fault." She replied smugly. "That song was a way of expressing my feelings. But, if it shows any girl who thinks she's in love with you, who you _really_ are, then that's just a bonus."

"You're the one who broke up with me!" He was growing closer, his hands were clenched into fists, and he was _beyond _angry. "Just to clarify,"

"And _you're_ the one who made me choose between _you _and my best friend," Mitchie was surprisingly calm, even though she was with the two people she hated more than anyone in the world. "Not to mention that you _cheated_ on me with my best friend. _Just_ to clarify,"

"God, Mitchie. You are so _full_ of yourself!" Sierra's hand wrapped around her wrist, as if to pull her even closer. "Ever since you moved in with your brother...You've forgotten who you really are."

"No. _You've_ forgotten who you really are, Sierra. The girl I knew wouldn't use me to get five seconds of fame, and she _defiantly_ wasn't a slut, who stole my boyfriend."

Out of all the things she could have done, she didn't expect her former friend to slap her.

It was a good hit, because Sierra had always been a genius slapper, and it sent her to the ground, her hands breaking the fall.

Mitchie stared up at her, ready to intervene, but a voice cut her off.

"That's it." Caitlyn hissed, more angry that Mitchie had ever seen her. She was in front of Mitchie within seconds, ready to beat the bitch's ass, but arms wrapped around her.

"Get her on the bus." Shane ordered, handing her off to Nate _and_ Jason. They began to, slowly, tow the screaming and kicking sixteen year old back onto the bus.

"Get up, Mitch." He said, after they were gone. His hand shot out, wrapping around her own and pulling her back to her feet. "Are you okay?"

His hand reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing across the cut she'd received when she had hit the ground.

"Go back to the bus." Shane told her, his tone unemotional. "And wait there for me."

"Shay..."

"Just go, Mitchie." He gave her a light shove. "Please."

Warily, she began to walk back to assist her brother and best friend.

"Better hope that you don't see Caitlyn again," He advised the frizzy haired backstabber. "Because next time, I won't hold her back."

"Like your incompetent cousin would do anything. Sierra barely even touched that little bitch-"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was slammed up against the wall, his feet dangling above the ground.

"Call her that again, and it'll be the last thing you say." He hissed, he was scaring even himself. But he would never back down, not if it was for his girl. "So listen, and listen good. I don't know what little stunt you tried to pull with Mitchie earlier, but if either of you even come _near_ her again, I'll make sure you regret it."

Almost satisfied, he let the sixteen year old slump to the ground, and turned to leave. But Jake wasn't done, not by a long shot.

"You know, I could have made her really happy!" He called, causing the eighteen year old to spin back around. "She could have chosen me. And then, pretty soon, you would have just been a distant memory. She would have been really happy with me, Rock Star."

"Don't be so sure about that."

Confused, both boys turned to look. Mitchie stood there, her arms crossed, an almost amused expression on her face.

"Mitch," Shane began, but she brought her hand up to cut him off. It was _her_ turn to defend herself.

"Don't you remember what I said, Jake?" She asked with a bitter laugh. "I'll _always_ choose Shane over you. I'll probably choose him over anyone. Now how about you, and my bitch of an ex best friend get out of here, before my real best friend beats your ass,"

Her hand wrapped around his arm, though, if he really had wanted to go after Jake, she probably wouldn't be able to hold him back.

"Let's go," He said quickly, wrapping his own hand around her arm. "I don't think you're going to see either one of them again."

"Shay,"

Mitchie only had to use his nickname to get his to turn his full attention to her. She smiled when he looked at her, gripping his hands in her own.

"Let's mess with him a little bit," She whispered.

"What did you have in mind?"

Shane would have done anything to mess with Jake The Jerk. But sometimes, he couldn't read her mind, and that irritated him.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, their foreheads pressed together as she whispered: "Kiss me,"

That was all the invitation he needed. He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer, if even possible. His lips met her seconds later.

Mitchie laughed as he picked her up, spinning her around just like they did in the movies.

Some time later, time seemed to stand still when they kissed, her feet returned to the ground and they broke away, grinning wildly at each other.

"Gets better every time," He whispered, just for her to hear. "Bye, guys. Have a _great_ life."

Nate was waiting for them, leaning against the bus, his arms crossed. As they got closer, he pointed an accusing finger in their direction.

"I saw that."

The two looked at each other and shrugged, too happy to care about anyone else right then and there.

"Okay,"

"I _saw_ that,"

"Okay..."

"You two _kissed_."

"Yep."

"You were _kissing _him. He was _kissing _you."

"Un huh,"

"There was lip contact!"

"Nate, I don't know how to be any more clear on this. _Yes_."

She walked by and patted him cheek, her hand wrapping around his own. "And here I thought you were the smart one, darling."

"You're gonna pay for that one, Torres." He threatened, grabbing her around the waist.

"Nate!"

Nate laughed as he threw her over his shoulder, holding her legs down so she couldn't kick him. He carried her up the stairs, a chuckling Shane Gray at his heels.

Jason was still trying to pin Caitlyn down; they were on the floor, and right then and there, _she_ was straddling _him_.

"Let me off the bus!" She hissed, running for the door. Mitchie grabbed her around the waist and dragged her feet. The three boys came to her aid.

Shane grabbed Mitchie and plated his feet firmly on the ground.

"Caitlyn!"

It was sad, they realized, that it took all of them to hold her down.


End file.
